UC-NRLF 


SB    Ifl    DhS 


J.     A/, 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PABENTAGE  AND  BIRTH. 

Introduction. — Birth.— His  father's  occupation,  character,  and  early 
death. — His  mother's  lineage. — Early  settlement  of  South  Caro 
lina. — Immigration  of  a  Welsh  colony. — His  mother's  charac 
teristics...,  1 


CHAPTER  II. 

EARLY  BOYHOOD. 

Orphanage. — Early  poverty. — An  old-field  school. — His  first  teach 
ers. — Account  of  Mr.  Mclntyre. — Attachment  to  his  pupil. — 
Habits  of  study. — Early  ambition.— First  impressions  of  his 
genius. — Introduction  to  his  future  Patrons. — Indifference  to 
play. — Moral  and  Religious  traits 13 


CHAPTER  III. 

His  PATRONS. 

Brief  sketch  of  the  Generals  Gillespie. — Their  affection  for  their 
ward. — Sketch  of  Mr.  Bobbins. — His  marked  influence  in  de 
veloping  the  genius  intrusted  to  his  care 27 

CHAPTER  IV. 

PREPARATION  FOR  COLLEGE. 

Removal  to  Cheraw. — Abode  with  Mr.  Bobbins. — Confidential  rela 
tions  with  him. — First  appearance  as  a  debater. — Entrance  into 
the  Cheraw  Academy. — Love  for  the  Classics. — Early  fondness 
for  Metaphysics. — Correspondence  with  his  Patron. — Singular 
letter. — Tendency  to  moral  speculations 39 

iii 


M71858 


IV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

COLLEGE  LITE. 

First  .  ppearance  in  College. — Personal  description. — Kejected  on 
tirst  application. — Received  on  the  second. — His  own  account 
of  it. — Early  impression  of  his  genius  upon  his  fellow-students. 
— Faculty  of  the  South  Carolina  College. — Intense  application. — 
Eange  of  his  studies. — Self-discipline. — Seclusion. — Early  repu 
tation  as  a  debater. — Powers  of  invective. — Correspondence. ...  53' 

CHAPTER  VI. 

COLLEGE  LIFE  CONTINUED. 

Correspondence  with  his  Patrons. — Admirable  letters  of  Mr.  Rob- 
bins  in  reply, — Conscientiousness  in  the  use  of  money. — Cen 
sured  for  parsimony,  by  Mr.  Robbins. — His  defence. — Moral 
character  in  College. — Testimonies  of  his  class-mates. — Religi 
ous  investigations, — Example  of  integrity. — Graduation  and  ' 
distinctions 67 

CHAPTER  VII. 

HlS    CONVEESION. 

Inability  to  choose  a  profession. — Remains  as  resident  graduate. — 
Correspondence. — Teaches  at  Sumterville. — Literary  projects. 
— Unites  with  the  Presbyterian  Church. — His  own  account, 
given  at  a  later  period,  of  his  religious  exercises. — Review  of 
his  religious  history. — His  own  analysis  of  religion. — Letter 83 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

His  TEACHING  AT  CHEKAW. 

Removes  to  Cheraw. — Becomes  principal  of  the  Academy. — Charac 
ter  as  a  teacher. — Physical  development. — Habits -of  life. — 
Religious  gloom. — Account  of  this  stage  of  his  history,  by  an 
associate. — Explanation  of  his  gloom. — Defective  religious  ex 
perience. — Applies  to  Presbytery.— Taken  under  its  care  as  a 
candidate  for  the  ministry 103 

CHAPTER  IX. 

RESIDENCE  AT  CAMBRIDGE. 

Sudden  removal  to  Andover,  Mass. — Thence  to  Cambridge. — Rea 
sons  for  the  change. — Letter  from  Mr.  Robbins. — Correspon 
dence. — Amusing  story  of  a  visit  to  Boston. — Hears  Mr. 
Everett's  eulogy  upon  Lafayette. — Contrast  between  different 
stages  in  the  same  life. — Letters. — Return  home 115 


CONTENTS.  V 

CHAPTEE  X. 

FIKST  PASTORATE. 

Licensure. — Settlement  in  Lancaster. —Spiritual  conflict. — Early 
preaching. — Ascendency  over  his  audience. — Power  of  illumi 
nating  the  whole  gospel. — His  bearing  as  a  pastor. — Marriage. 
— Death  of  his  first  child. — Complete  formation  of  character. — 
Development  of  piety. — Extracts  from  his  private  journal. — 
Confession  and  prayer 127 

CHAPTEE  XI. 

FIRST  PROFESSORSHIP. 

Ke-organization  of  the  College. — Enters  it  as  Professor.— Intimate 
friendship  with  members  of  the  Faculty. — Appointed  to  chair 
of  Metaphysics. — Enthusiasm  and  success  in  this  study. — Native 
aptitude  for  it. — Not  wanting  in  Esthetics. — Scruples  of  con 
science. — Resigns  the  Professorship. — Installed  pastor  of  the 
Columbia  Church. — Author's  first  impression  of  him. — Recalled 
to  the  College H5 

CHAPTEE  XII. 

VOYAGE  TO  EUROPE. 

Ill  health. — Ordered  to  Europe. — Letters  on  the  way. — Sails  for 
Liverpool. — Journal. — Reflections  upon  the  ocean;  upon  the 
value  of  time  ;  upon  the  sea  as  a  school  for  the  Christian  graces. 
— Description  of  a  Newfoundland  fog. — -Dangers. — Storm  at 
sea. — Arrives  in  Europe 157 

CHAPTEE  XIII. 

LETTERS  FORM  EUROPE. 

Description  of  Liverpool. — English  politics. — Description  of  Ches 
ter. — Its  antiquities. — Nobleman's  estate. — London. — Its  in 
teresting  associations. — Its  striking  contrasts. — Scotland. — 
Description  of  Glasgow. — Intercourse  with  the  Seceders. — 
Places  visited  .on  his  journey. — Kenilworth. — Warwick. — Strat- 
f  ord-upon- Avon.  —  Melrose  Abbey.  — Dryburgh.  —  Impressions 
of  Paris, — Its  Lions. — Return  home. — Patriotism...  ,.  167 


CHAPTEE  XIV. 

OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY. 

This  chapter  a  digression. — Reasons  for  it. — Strict  adherence  to  the 
Standards  in  the  early  Church. — Cuirmlative  proof  of  this. — 
Early  sympathy  with  Congregationalists. — Causes  of  it. — Plan 


VI  CONTENTS. 

of  Union.— Its  leading  features.- — Presbyterian  order  under 
mined. — Theological  speculations  in  New  England. — Dissemi 
nated  in  the  Presbyterian  Church. — Specifications  of  doctrinal 
error. — Substance  of  doctrine  defined. — Organization  of  Na 
tional  Societies. — Conflict  with  each  of  these. — The  results. — 
Electiye-affinity  Presbyterians. — Mr.  Barnes'  trial.— Measures 
of  reform. — Act  and  Testimony. — Assembly  of  1837. — Plan  of 
Union  abolished. — Final  disruption ; 181 


CHAPTER  XV. 

POLEMIC  CAREER  BEGUN. 

Providential  training  for  his  future  work. — Member  of  Assembly  in 
1837. — Inside  view  of  that  Council. — Gradual  sifting  of  the 
Church. — Testimony  before  the  Synod. — Tract  publications. — 
Letter  of  condolence. — Called  back  to  the  College. — His  deci 
sion. — Pastoral  relation  dissolved.- — Assumes  the  chaplaincy  in 
the  College 211 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  BOARD  QUESTION. 

Discussions  about  the  Boards  of  the  Church. — Kise  out  of  the  pre 
vious  controversy. — Debate  in  Synod.  • — Incident  in  the  same. — 
First  written  attack  on  the  Boards. — Article  on  the  Apocrypha. 
— Second  article  on  the  Boards. — Letters  on  the  same  subject.  221 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

GENERAL  CORRESPONDENCE. 

Views  upon  the  French  character. — Kelations  with  Dr.  K.  J.  Breck- 
inridge. — Letters  of  Christian  sympathy. — Proposed  work  on 
the  Atonement. — Controversy  with  Romanists. — Death  of  Mr. 
Bobbins.  —Letter  to  his  widow ...  233 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  ELDER  QUESTION. 

Assembly's  decision  upon  the  quorum  of  a  Presbytery. — Upon  the 
imposition  of  hands  by  elders  in  the  ordination  of  ministers. — 
Letters  on  these  topics. — Article  published. — Argument  of  Dr. 
Breckinridge  before  Synod  of  Philadelphia  reviewed. — Further 
correspondence  on  the  eldership. — Letters  of  sympathy. — In 
timations  of  God's  will  in  the  leadings  of  His  providence 251 


CONTENTS. 


Vli 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

CALL  TO  BALTIMORE. 

Dissatisfaction  with  the  College.—  Call  to  Church  in  Baltimore.— 
Accepted  by  him.— Dismission  to  Presbytery  of  Baltimore. — 
Doctorate  conferred. — Action  of  Trustees  of  the  College. — 
Detained  for  a  year. — Correspondence  growing  out  of  this. — 
Baltimore  Church  waits. — Presbytery  reconsiders  its  former 
action. — He  remains  in  the  College 267 

CHAPTER  XX. 

QUESTION  OF  ROMISH  BAPTISM. 

Assembly  of  1845. — Debate  on  Romish  Baptism. — Impressions  of 
the  West. — Views  on  Abolitionism. — Patriotic  feeling. — Biblical 
Repertory  on  Romish  Baptism. — Articles  in  reply. — Correspon 
dence  on  the  same. — Letter  to  Hon.  W.  C.  Preston,  also  to  his 
children.— Plans  in  relation  to  the  Columbia  Seminary. — 
Southern  Presbyterian  Review  projected. — Its  objects  explained.  285 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

ASSEMBLIES  OF  1847  AND  1848. 

Assembly  of  1847. — Elected  Moderator. — Salutatory  address. — Des 
criptive  letters. — Sermon  on  Popery. — Its  subject,  the  Mass. — 
Outline  of  it,  views  of  his  usefulness  in  the  College. — Assem 
bly  of  1848. — Right  of  Clrarch  members  to  withdraw. — Relation 
of  the  Church  to  moral  reform  societies. — Curious  scene  in  the 
Assembly. — Visit  to  Washington  city. — First  acquaintance  with 
Mr.  Calhoun. — Impressions  of  his  genius. — Letters  of  friend 
ship 297 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

PERSONAL  FRIENDSHIPS. 

Cases  of  young  men  whom  he  brought  into  the  ministry. — Letter  to 
one  of  these. — Appeal  to  a  young  friend  on  personal  religion. — 
His  liberality  in  assisting  others  to  an  education. — Death  of 
a  young  friend. — Letter  to  a  licentiate 313 

CHAPTER  XXIH. 

STATE  EDUCATION. 

The  State's  obligation  to  control  education. — Denominational  educa 
tion. — Inquiries  into  the  subject. — His  book  on  Romanism. — 
Edinburgh  Review  upon  it. — Brownson's  attack. — Letters  on 
the  province  of  the  Church  in  education. — Letter  to  Governor 
Manning 325 


VH1  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEE  XXIV. 

CALL  TO  CHARLESTON. 

Occasional  dissatisfaction  with  Academic  life. — Causes  of  it. — Rural 
pursuits  in  vacation. — His  farm. — Care  of  his  slaves. — Private 
correspondence. — Call  to  Church  in  Charleston. — Resignation 
of  his  Professorship. — Release  from  the  College. — Removal  to 
Charleston. — Brief  labours  there.— Correspondence. — Elected 
to  Presidency  of  the  College. — Mental  conflict. — Action  of  the 
Church 339 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

PRESIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE. 

Enters  upon  Presidency  of  the  College. — Fitness  for  that  position. — 
His  idea  of  the  higher  education. — A  compulsory  curriculum 
preferred  to  elective  courses. — Views  developed  in  his  Letter  to 
Governor  Manning.— Visit  to  older  institutions. — At  Cam 
bridge. — Letters  written  there. — At  Yale. — Letters. — Speech  at 
the  Yale  dinner 355 

CHAPTEE  XXVI. 

PRESIDENCY  CONTINUED. 
Correspondence. — Criticism  upon  Assembly  of  1852. — Temperance 

address. — Letters  to  Dr.  Peck  and  others. — Discourses  on  Truth.  300 

CHAPTEE  XXVII. 

CLOSE  OF  HIS  PRESIDENCY. 

Movement  to  transfer  him  to  the  Theological  Seminary. — Reasons 
for  it. — Action  of  the  Synod. — Relative  importance  of  the  two 
positions. — Correspondence  in  relation  to  this. — Resignation  of 
the  Presidency. — Arrested  for  a  year. — Letters. — Assembly  of 
1855. — Debate  on  the  Board  question. — Termination  of  con 
nexion  with  the  College. — Review  of  his  influence  over  the 
students. — Elements  of  character  that  explain  it. — Illustrations 
of  it 381 

CHAPTEE  XXVUI. 

EDITORSHIP  OF  SOUTHERN  QUARTERLY  REVIEW. 
Leaves  the  College. — Becomes  Professor  in  the  Theological  Semi 
nary. — Editor  of  the  Southern  Quarterly  Review. — Correspon 
dence  in  relation  to  it. — Article  on  Miracles. — Friendly  criticism 
of  it. — His  rejoinder. — Death  of  his  mother  and  son. — Opinion 
of  Hamilton's  Logic. — Distinction  of  the  Absolute  and  Infinite. 
— Defence  of  Dugald  Stewart,  and  the  Scotch  Philosophy. — 
Estimate  of  Sir  William  Hamilton. — Decline  of  the  Review 397 


CONTENTS.  lX 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

SEMINARY  LIFE. 

Death  of  his  mother  and  of  his  son. — Views  of  the  family  covenant. 
— Assembly  of  1856. — Sermon  on  Foreign  Missions. — Letter  to 
his  daughter. — Pastor  of  the  Columbia  Church. — View  of  Afri 
can  slave  trade. — Tour  through  the  West. — Letters  to  his  chil 
dren  and  wife. — Assembly  of  1857. — Chairman  of  Committee 
on  Revision  of  the  Discipline. — Letter  in  relation  to  it,  from 
the  Moderator. — His  inauguration  as  Professor  in  the  Seminary.  415 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

SEMINARY  LIFE  CONTINUED. 

Visits  the  South  West. — Impressions  of  New  Orleans. — Effect  of  his 
preaching. — Death  of  the  Rev.  P.  E.  Bishop. — Letter  to  his 
\vidow. — Assembly  of  1859. — Report  on  Revision. — Remarkable 
speech  in  the  Assembly. — Letters  from  Indianapolis. — Return 
home. — Death  of  his  oldest  daughter. — Affecting  circumstances 
attending  it. — His  affliction  and  resignation. — Letter  detailing 
her  sickness  and  death.  — Anxiety  for  the  conversion  of  his  chil 
dren. — Letter  of  sympathy. — Assembly  of  1860. — Debate  with 
Dr.  Hodge  on  the  question  of  Boards .' 431 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

SECOND  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Fr.il'ire  of  health. — Second  voyage  to  Europe. — Agreeable  party. — 
Isle  of  Wight. —Stay  in  London. — Letters  home. — Ireland. — 
Irish  Assembly. — Scotland. — Edinburgh. — Its  clergy. — Returns 
to  London. — Its  historic  associations. — Its  ministers. — Visits 
the  Continent. — Basle. — Geneva. — The  Alps. — Mountain  scen 
ery. — Zurich. — Its  associations. — Returns  to  America 449 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE  LATE  WAR. 

Return  from  Europe. — The  country  upon  the  eve  of  revolution. — 
Rapid  succession  of  events. — His  espousal  of  the  Confederate 
cause. — Original  attachment  to  the  Union. — His  letters. — His 
course  in  Nullification. — His  attitude  in  1850. — Letters  then 
upon  Secession — Position  as  to  the  Know-Nothing  Party. — 
History  of  the  steps  that  led  to  the  ci-isis  of  1850. — His  contrary 
position  in  1860. — Reasons  for  the  change. — His  case  typical  of 
the  South  generally 467 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

• 

His  COURSE  IN  THE  WAK. 

Endorsement  of  Secession.  — Letters. — Prevalence  of  order  in  the 
State. — Object  of  attack  on  Fort  Sumter. — Article  on  the  State 
of  the  country. — Analysis  of  it. — Compromise  impossible. — 
Desire  for  a  peaceful  separation. — Impaired  health. — Summer 
excursion. — Letters. — A  convention  of  the  Presbyteries. — 
Necessity  of  ecclesiastical  separation  from  the  North.—  Episto 
lary  jeu  d'esprit. — Kesumes  his  labours  as  Professor. — Resigna 
tion  of  pastoral  charge. — Anxiety  about  the  country. — Its  in 
fluence  on  his  health 485 

CHAPTEE  XXXIV. 

ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  SOUTHERN  ASSEMBLY. 

Commissioners  visit  Washington  city  in  the  interest  of  peace. — Du 
plicity  towards  them. — Attempted  reinforcement  of  Fort  Sum- 
ter. — Its  bombardment. — The  North  inflamed. — War  ensues. — 
Assembly  in  1861.— The  "Spring  Resolutions. "—Their  politi 
cal  character. — Action  of  the  Southern  Presbyteries. — Conven 
tion  of  these  held. — Organization  of  Southern  Assembly. — Char 
acter  of  the  body. — Its  Address  to  the  Churches  throughout  the 
Earth. — Scene  at  its  subscription. — Also,  at  adoption  of  a  char 
ter. — Equipment  of  the  Church  for  her  work. — Overtiare  to 
Congress  upon  the  recognition  of  Christianity,  presented  and 
withdrawn.  — Debate  on  sending  a  letter  to  the  Northern  Assem 
bly. — Draft  of  such  a  letter;  not  presented. — Action  of  a  con 
vention  in  South  Carolina. — Its  civil  character. — Care  of  South 
ern  Church  to  abstain  from  politics. — Proof  of  this  in  the  pub 
lic  prayers  of  the  period. — Example  in  a  prayer  of  Dr.  Thorn- 
well 499> 

CHAPTEE  XXXV. 

His  DEATH. 

Continued  interest  in  the  war. — Writes  for  the  secular  press. — His 
son  wounded, —  Visit  to  Richmond. — Return. — Vacation. — 
Travel  for  health. — Letters  home. — Son's  return  to  Virginia, — 
Meeting  in  Charlotte. — Sketch  of  son's  career. — Last  sickness. 
— His  malady.— Lethargy. — Last  sayings. — Death. — Funeral 
services. — His  tomb »  513 

CHAPTEE  XXXVI. 

GENERAL  REVIEW. 

His  death  lamented. — Review  of  his  public  relations. — As  an  EDUCA 
TOR  :  His  qualifications  ;  his  methods  ;  mastery  over  his  know- 


CONTENTS.  XJ 

ledge ;  command  of  language ;  Professor  of  Theology ;  text 
books;  lectures;  examinations. — As  PHILOSOPHER  and  THEO 
LOGIAN  :  Extent  and  accuracy  of  his  learning ;  caution  and 
independence  in  speculation ;  his  place  in  Philosophy  ;  valuable 
paper  on  this  point. — As  a  PREACHER  :  His  power  in  argument 
and  appeal ;  Exposition ;  Logic  and  feeling  combined ;  his 
diction ;  preaching  on  special  occasions ;  extemporaneous ; 
views  on  the  whole  subject,  presented  in  a  conversation ;  his 
criticism  of  his  own  productions. — As  a  PRESBYTER  :  practical 
wisdom ;  Influence  in  Church  courts ;  reasons  for  it ;  princi 
ples  fixed ;  his  caution ;  penetration ;  Positiveness  of  mind  ; 
honesty  ;  knowledge  of  Church  Principles  and  History. — As  a 
CHRISTIAN  and  a  MAN  :  Type  of  his  religious  experience ; 
Growth  in  piety  ;  testimony  to  his  worth ;  his  personal  appear 
ance  ;  his  social  and  moral  qualities ;  his  general  bearing ; 
playfulness  and  love  of  badinage ;  wrarmth  of  his  affections ; 
attachment  of  his  friends 527 


APPENDIX. 

I. — Notices  of  Sermons, 571 

II. — "  Our  Danger  and  our  Duty," 579 

III.— "The  State  of  the  Country," 591 


NOTE. 

THE  delay  in  the  preparation  of  this  volume  is  principally  due  to  the 
fact  that,  after  the  papers  of  Dr.  Thornwell  were  placed  in  the  writer's 
hands,  two  years  ago,  it  was  still  necessary  to  collect  the  materials  for 
the  early  portions  of  the  Memoirs,  by  extensive  correspondence.  Valu 
able  memoranda  were  thus  obtained  from  Gen.  James  Gillespie,  Col.  W. 
L.  T.  Prince,  and  the  family  of  Mr.  Bobbins,  of  Cheraw,  S.  C.  ;  Hon. 
J.  A.  Inglis,  of  Baltimore,  Md.  ;  Rev.  John  Douglas,  of  Charlotte,  N.  C.  ; 
Kev.  D.  McQueen,  D.  D.,  of  Sumterville,  S.  C.  ;  Mr.  W.  M.  Hutson,  of 
Orangeburgh,  S.  C.  ;  Col.  F.  W.  McMaster,  of  Columbia,  S.  C. ;  Rev. 
A.  A.  Morse,  of  Gainesville,  Ala.  ;  Mr.  T.  E.  B.  Pegues,  of  Oxford,  Miss.  ; 
Dr.  Thos.  L.  Dunlop  and  Rev.  J.  N.  Craig,  of  Holly  Springs,  Miss. ;  Rev. 
W.  E.  Boggs,  D.  D.  of  Memphis,  Tenn.  ;  Rev.  J.  M.  P.  Otts,  D.  D., 
of  Wilmington,  Del. ;  and  Rev.  A.  J.  Witherspoon,  of  New  Orleans, 
La.  ;  to  all  of  whom  a  public  acknowledgement  is  herewith  most  grate 
fully  made  by 

THE  AUTHOK. 


THE  LIFE  AND  LETTERS 


OF 


JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL, 

D.  D.,  LL.  D. 


CHAPTER  I. 
PARENTAGE  AND  BIRTH. 

INTRODUCTION. — BIRTH. — His  FATHER'S  OCCUPATION,  CHARACTER,  AND 
EARLY  DEATH.— His  MOTHER'S  LINEAGE. — EARLY  SETTLEMENT  OF 
SOUTH  CAROLINA. — IMMIGRATION  OF  A  WELSH  COLONY. — His  MOTHER'S 
CHARACTERISTICS. 

HISTORY  loves  to.  trace  the  lineage  of  those  whose 
lives  have  been  heroic.     It  seems  to  add  grace  to 
virtue  when  it  descends  from  sire  to  son, 

"  And  is  successively,  from  blood  to  blood, 
The  right  of  birth." 

Even  the  pride  which  it  begets  is  shorn  of  its  offence 
when  it  becomes  the  spur  to  honour,  and  the  legacy  of 
.a  spotless  name  is  bequeathed,  with  increasing  splendour, 
to  succeeding  heirs.  The  claim  of  birth  is  buffeted  with 
scorn  only  when  it  stands  upon  the  merit  of  the  past, 
which  it  is  powerless  to  reproduce.  The  rugged  sense  of 
mankind  discriminates,  with  sufficient  sagacity,  betwixt 
the  counterfeit  aristocracy  and  the  true.  The  veneration 
which  is  natural  to  us  resents  the  fraud  of  an  empty 
name,  without  the  solid  worth  it  was  supposed  to  repre 
sent.  But  if  the  blood  that  courses  through  the  veins 

bears  upon  its  tide  the  virtues  by  which  it  was  first  dis- 
2 


2  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

tinguished,  and  the  scions  of  an  ancient  house  give  pre 
sage  of  the  honour  which  made  their  fathers  renowned, 
it  bows  to  such  with  a  deference  that  seals  the  legitimacy 
of  their  sway.  It  turns,  with  a  lofty  disdain,  from  those 
who  gild  their  vices  or  their  weakness  with  the  lustre  of 
a  name  which  is  prostituted  in  the  use ;  but  it  accepts 
the  blessing  coming  from  ambition  itself,  when  the  pres 
tige  of  birth  prompts  generations,  in  their  turn, 

<   l-     *•'  r/o  draw  forth  a  noble  ancestry 
t « l  n  ,  .  From,  the  corruption  of  abusing  time, 
;  Unto. a  lineal,  true-derived  course." 


But  the  longest  pedigree  must  have  a  beginning;  and 
the  whole  force  of  these  suggestions  goes  to  show  that 
the  chief  glory  belongs  to  the  founder  of  a  family.  It 
is  the  impress  of  his  character  which  honourable  descend 
ants  are  careful  to  preserve;  and  though  the  original  dig 
nity  may  be  enlarged,  it  is  by  the  stimulus  derived  from 
his  example.  The  glory  of  embellishing  a  name  can  never 
be  superior  to  that  of  first  drawing  it  from  obscurity.  As, 
too,  a  wise  government  recruits  its  nobility  by  timely  and 
gradual  accessions  from  the  commons  beneath  it,  so 
God,  in  His  adorable  providence,  is  continually  bringing 
out  the  unknown  to  be  princes  in  the  power  of  their 
influence  over  the  church  and  the  world.  This  pre 
eminence  is  challenged  on  behalf  of  the  subject  of  these 
Memoirs.  If  his  name  was  never  borne  with  "  chant  of 
heraldry  "  along  the  aisles  of  the  drowsy  past,  he  has  the 
superior  glory,  in  this  respect,  of  being  born  only  of  himself. 

"  For  being  not  propped  by  ancestry,  whose  grace 
Chalks  successors  their  way  ;  neither  allied 
To  eminent  assistants ;   but  spider-like 
Out  of  his  self-drawing  web,  he  gives  us  note, 
The  force  of  his  own  merit  makes  his  way  : 
A  gift  that  heaven  gives  for  him,  which  buys 
A  place  next  to  the  king." 

JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL  was  born  on  the  9th  of  De 
cember,  A.  D.  1812,  on  the  plantation  of  Mr.  Christopher 


PARENTAGE  AND  BIRTH.  3 

B.  Pegues,  in  Marlborough  District,  South  Carolina.  His 
grandfather,  William  Thornwell,  was  an  Englishman,  who 
lived  in  Marlborough  District.  The  family  was  perpetua 
ted  through  only  one  son,  James  Thornwell,  from  whose 
loins  sprung  the  subject  of  our  present  story.  This  son  was 
married  on  the  25th  of  June,  1809,  to  Martha  Terrell, 
daughter  of  Samuel  Terrell  and  Elizabeth  Pearce,  being 
herself  born  on  the  8th  of  December,  1794.  The  issue 
of  this  latter  marriage  was  as  follows :  Elizabeth,  born 
May,  1810,  now  living,  the  widow  of  William  Anderson, 
in  Marlborough  District;  James  Henley,  and  his  twin 
brother,  born  December  9th,  1812,  the  latter  of  whom  died 
a  few  weeks  after  his  birth ;  Caroline  Jane,  born  Septem 
ber,  1815,  now  living  in  South  Carolina,  as  the  widow  of 
John  W.  Graham;  &  fifth  child,  a  daughter,  who  died  at 
two  years  of  age,  and  Charles  Alexander,  the  youngest, 
born  October,  1820,  who,  after  graduating  in  the  South 
Carolina  College,  pursued  the  profession  of  the  Law  with 
•considerable  distinction,  and  died  in  1855.  Of  these  six 
children,  two  sous  and  two  daughters  survived  the  father ; 
who  died  in  the  prime  of  life,  on  the  30th  of  December, 
1820. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  so  little  can  be  traced  of  Dr. 
Thornwell's  parentage  on  the  paternal  side.  Of  his 
grandfather  nothing  is  known  but  what  has  been  men 
tioned  above.  Of  his  father  little  can  be  gathered  beyond 
the  fact  that  he  belonged  to  that  important  and  useful 
class,  so  necessary  under  the  partially  feudal  system  which 
has  passed  away,  who  managed  the  estates  of  others; 
serving  as  middle  men  between  the  proprietors,  who  were 
often  absentees,  and  the  baronial  estates,  which  they  man 
aged  as  their  representatives.  He  is  described  as  gen 
erous  in  disposition,  free-handed  and  hospitable,  living 
always  up  to  his  means,  and  accumulating  nothing.  Firm 
in  the  execution  of  his  purposes,  he  acquired  the  reputa 
tion  of  being  a  good  planter  and  an  excellent  manager; 
and  to  the  period  of  his  death  held  positions  of  responsi- 


4  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

bility  and  trust.  When  this  event  occurred  he  was  in 
charge  of  the  business  of  a  widow  lady,  Mrs.  Bedgewood, 
afterwards  Mrs.  Billingsley. 

The  scene  of  death  is  thus  described  by  an  eye  wit 
ness;  and  it  is  interesting  as  bringing,  for  the  first  time, 
distinctly  before  us  the  subject  of  this  book.  It  may  lend 
additional  zest  to  the  narrative  to  say  that  it  is  told  by 
one  from  whom  he  was  separated  in  birth  by  only  the 
interval  of  an  hour,  in  homes  which  were  in  sight  of  each 
other,  upon  the  same  plantation.  This  surviving  friend, 
sustaining  almost  the  relation  of  a  foster-brother,  thus 
depicts  the  sensibility  and  grief  of  the  youthful  orphan: 

"At  that  time  I  lived  a  great  deal  with  my  aunt,  Mrs.  Bedgewood,  and 
was  there  when  Mr.  Thorawell  died.  Though  only  some  seven  or  eight 
years  old,  I  remember  the  day  perfectly.  The  house  was  not  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  my  aunt's ;  and  both  she  I  were  there  when  he 
breathed  his  last.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  seen  death  face  to 
face.  I  remember  the  looks  of  Mr.  Thornwell  to  this  day.  After  he 
was  laid  out,  James  and  myself  looked  wonderingly  on  his  remains,  and 
then  went  to  the  spring,  talking,  as  boys  might,  of  the  strangeness  of 
death.  I  recollect  his  saying,  in  almost  heart-broken  accents,  '  What 
will  mother  do  ?  What  will  become  of  us  ?'  We  remained  some  time  at 
the  spring  ;  he  often  weeping  bitterly,  and  I  consoling  him  as  well  as 
3  could.  No  day  of  my  life  is  more  vividly  impressed  upon  my  memory. " 

It  is  an  artless  story  like  this  which  most  quickly  suf 
fuses  the  eye  with  tears.  It  is  graphic  in  its  very 
simplicity.  Every  line  in  the  picture  is  sharply  cut. 
Two  young  boys,  just  eight  years  of  age,  stand  to 
gether  by  the  side  of  a  corpse,  with  that  strange  awe 
which  all  remember  to  have  felt  when  first  gazing  upon 
the  great  mystery  of  death ;  then  sitting  down  by  the 
cool  spring  to  appreciate  what  it  imports  to  the  living; 
then  the  sudden  rush  of  grief  upon  the  orphan's  heart, 
and  the  affectionate  sensibility  which  stretches  into  the 
desolate  future,  breaking  into  the  wail,  "  What  will  my 
mother  do?"  It  is  the  first  sign  given  of  the  broad  and 
noble  nature,  which  it  will  be  the  business  of  these  pages 
to  p6rtray;  of  that  deep  affectionateness,  which  flowed 


PARENTAGE  AND  BIRTH. 


like  a  majestic  stream  through  a  generous  life,  fertilTzing 
friendships  as  tender  and  as  lasting  as  ever  gathered 
around  the  memory  of  the  dead.  It  shall  be  told  in  due 
time  "  what  that  mother  shall  do,"  when  we  come  to  see 
the  filial  love  which  bursts  forth  in  the  passionate  cry  of 
the  boy,  folding  at  last  her  venerable  form  in  his  manly 
embrace,  smoothing  the  pillow  under  her  dying  head, 
and  writing  her  praise  in  lasting  marble  over  her  grave. 

These  references  form  an  easy  transition  to  the  fuller 
record  of  his  maternal  ancestors.  It  will  not  be  unin 
teresting  here  to  incorporate  a  brief  chapter  of  Carolina's 
early  history,  upon  which  a  degree  of  romance  is  im 
pressed  by  the  dissimilar  elements  which  were  fused  into 
her  original  population.  Through  a  period  of  sixty  years 
after  the  first  settlement,  from  A.  D.  1670  to  1730,  the 
population  of  the  province  increased  very  slowly.  First 
came  a  small  colony  from  Barbadoes,  and  with  it  the 
first  importation  of  slaves,  in  16tl.  Then  another  col 
ony  from  Nova-Belgia,  afterwards  called  New  York,  upon 
its  conquest,  in  1674-,  by  the  English.  A  considerable 
emigration  of  French  Protestants  flowed  in  after  the  re 
vocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantz,  in  169i;  which  gave  a 
marked  character  to  the  colony,  furnishing  many  of  the 
most  honourable  names  upon  the  proud  roll  of  this  gal 
lant  State,  even  to  the  present  time.  In  1696  a  further 
accession  was  gained  by  the  arrival  of  a  Congregational 
Church  from  Massachusetts,  which  settled  in  a  body  at 
Dorchester,  near  the  head  of  Ashley  river,  about  twenty 
miles  from  the  city  of  Charleston.  Dr.  Ramsay,  from 
whose  history  these  facts  are  compiled,  proceeds  to  say, 
"From  1696  to  1730  no  considerable  groups  of  settlers 
are  known  to  have  emigrated  to  Carolina,  though  the  pro 
vince  continued  to  advance  in  population  from  the  arrival 
of  individuals." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  1719  the  government  of 
the  infant  province  was  transferred  from  the  lords  pro 
prietors  to  the  crown,  a  change  rendered  necessary  by 


6  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

the  maladministration  of  the  former,  involving  them  in 
fatal  complications  with  the  occupants  of  the  soil.  Under 
the  fostering  protection  of  royalty,  a  steady  impulse  was 
given  to  the  prosperity  of  the  colony,  which  continued 
with  little  abatement  to  the  final  disruption  of  all  bonds 
with  the  mother 'country,  in  1776.  At  the  period,  how 
ever,  when  this  change  of  administration  occurred,  it  was 
in  a  condition  of  infantile  weakness,  and  surrounded  with 
perils  on  every  side.  The  coast  was  infested  with  pirates, 
who  made  their  captures  at  the  very  bar  of  Charleston. 
A  narrow  margin  along  the  sea  was  all  that  was  settled, 
not  extending  fifty  miles  into  the  interior.  The  middle 
country  was  held  by  the  aborigines,  "tribes  of  the  rov 
ing  foot,"  whose  incursions  penetrated  almost  within 
sight  of  the  sea,  and  who  were  only  less  formidable  by 
reason  of  the  destructive  wars  waged  amongst  themselves. 
The  accession  of  the  first  royal  governor  was  signalized 
by  a  more  liberal  policy  towards  these.  Negotiations  were 
instituted  and  treaties  formed,  by  which  large  tracts  of  land 
were  ceded  to  the  colony,  and  these  troublesome  neigh 
bours  were  removed  to  a  safer  distance.  The  next  step, 
of  course,  was  to  fill  up  this  new  domain  with  hardy  set 
tlers,  whose  growing  power  would  prove  a  surer  defence 
than  the  rude  forts  at  Dorchester,  Wiltown,  and  other  places 
equally  near  the  coast.  Among  the  salutary  measures 
to  stimulate  immigration  into  the  new  territory,  "the  go 
vernor  was  instructed  to  mark  out  eleven  townships,  in 
square  plats,  on  the  sides  of  rivers,  consisting  each  ot 
twenty  thousand  acres;  and  to  divide  the  land  within 
them  into  shares  of  fifty  acres. for  each  man,  woman  and 
child  that  should  come  to  occupy  and  improve  them. 
Each  township  was  to  form  a  parish,  and  all  the  inhabi 
tants  were  to  have  an  equal  right  to  the  river.  *  *  * 
Each  settler  was  to  pay  four  shillings  a  year  for  every 
hundred  acres  of  land,  except  the  first  ten  years,  during 
which  term  they  were  to  be  rent  free.  Accordingly, 
ten  townships  were  marked  out:  two  on  river  Altamaha, 


PARENT  A  (.K    AM>    KIKTH.  7 

two  on  Savannah,  two  on  Santee,  one  on  Pcdee,  one  on 
Wacamaw,  .one  on  Wateree,  -and  one  on  Black  river."* 

The  offer  of  such  privileges  soon  attracted  the  poor 
and  oppressed  in  other  lands,  who  poured  in  from  Ire 
land,  Holland,  Germany,  and  Switzerland;  as  well  as 
some  from  the  more  Northern  American  colonies,  in 
search  of  a  more  genial  clime:  so  that  to  Carolina  be 
longs  the  glory  of  affording  an  asylum  to  the  persecuted 
and  distressed  of  every  land,  up  to  the  period  when  a 
large  and  fixed  population  of  her  own  dispensed  with  the 
necessity  of  recruiting  her  strength  by  these  accessions. 
And  it  would  be  a  curious  theme  for  speculation  how  far 
the  generous  character,  for  which  her  citizens  have  al 
ways  been  distinguished,  is  due  to  the  composition  of  so 
many  elements  in  her  original  society;  as  well  as  to  trace 
the  operation  of  those  superior  influences  which  melted 
down  their  obvious  contradictions,  and  fused  them  into  a 
consistent  and  harmonious  whole. 

The  general  history  intersects  just  here  with  our  own 
narrative.  The  township  of  Queensborough,  located  in 
1731-2,  upon  the  Great  Pedee,  a  little  above  the  junc 
tion  of  the  Little  Pedee,  was  first  explored  and  afterwards 
settled  by  a  party  of  Welsh  from  Pennsylvania.  It  ap 
pears  that,  as  far  back  as  1701,  some  Welsh  Baptists 
emigrated  from  their  native  country  to  America,  bring 
ing  with  them  their  minister,  and  being  constituted  regu 
larly  into  a  Church.  They  first  settled  in  Penepec, 
Pennsylvania,  where  they  remained  a  year  and  six 
months.  In  1703  they  removed,  and  took  up  lands  in 
Newcastle  county,  which,  by  change  of  boundaries,  was 
afterwards  thrown  into  the  State  of  Delaware ;  which  ex 
plains  how  the  branch  that  found  its  way  to  'Carolina  is 
differently  represented  as  coming  from  Pennsylvania  and 
from  Delaware.  This  colony  came  to  the  Pedee  in  1736, 
and  desiring  a  larger  tract  of  land,  with  the  privilege  of 
exclusive  occupancy,  petitioned  the  Council  to  that  end. 

*  Ramsay's  History  of  South  Carolina,  chapter  fourth. 


LIFE  OF  JAMES   HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

The  result  was  a  grant  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-three 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land,  part  of 
which  lay  in  the  township  of  Queensborough,  the  remain 
der  extending  up  the  river  a  short  distance  above  Mar's 
Bluff.  A  second  petition,  setting  forth  that  the  land  was 
not  in  all  respects  adapted  to  their  wants,  especially  in 
the  growth  of  flax  and  hemp,  was  favourably  answered  in 
1737  by  running  the  lines  still  further  up  the  Pedee,  to 
the  fork  of  the  Yadkin  and  Rocky  rivers,  beyond  the 
boundary  which  now  separates  the  two  Carolinas.  The 
Welsh  seem,  however,  to  have  fixed  finally  upon  that  rich 
and  compact  body  of  land  embraced  in  the  bend  of  the 
river  opposite  the  present  village  of  Society  Hill,  which, 
stretching  over  a  distance  of  six  miles,  was  from  an  early 
period  known  as  the  "Welsh  Neck."  The  actual  settle 
ment  began  in  1736,  and  by  the  end  of  the  following 
year  most  of  the  families  had  arrived  from  Pennsylvania, 
and  the  colony  began  to  assume  an  organized  and  per 
manent  character.  In  1738  they  formed  themselves  into 
a  church  of  the  Baptist  faith,  and  erected  a  house  of  wor 
ship,  in  which  they  continued  to  serve  God  after  the 
manner  of  their  fathers.  Rev.  Dr.  Alexander  Gregg, 
now  Bishop  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  Texas, 
in  his  recently  published  "History  of  the  Old  Cheraws,"* 
and  from  which  all  the  above  statements  have  been  bodily 
taken,  thus  sums  up  the  character  of  this  virtuous,  but 
exceedingly  clannish,  community : 

"Such  was  the  scene  presented  by  this  infant  band  of  brothers  in 
the  early  days  of  their  history,  with  no  court  of  justice  in  their  midst  to 
which  conflicting  claims  and  angry  disputes  might  be  referred,  and  no 
frowning  gaol  for  the  reception  of  the  criminal.  Nor  were  they  needed. 
Few  contentions  probably  were  known ;  and  the  voice  of  society, 
though  newly  formed  in  this  Southern  home,  was  potent  enough  to 
silence  the  voice  of  the  blasphemer,  and  make  the  evil-minded  man 

*  This  work  affords  a  noble  illustration  of  what  antiquarian  research 
can  accomplish  in  working  up  the  local  traditions  in  our  extended 
country.  It  is  a  mine  of  historic  information,  into  which  few  shafts 
have  yet  been  sunk. 


PARENTAGE  AND  BIRTH. 

pause  in  his  ways.  Simplicity  of  character  appears  to  have  been  one  of 
the  r.-.ost  marked  traits  of  the  people  ;  a  virtue  which  has  been  trans 
mitted  through  succeeding  times  to  their  descendants.  They  were  open 
and  sincere,  making  no  profession  of  feeling  which  did  not  exist. 

"For  sobriety  and  moderation,  also,  with  what  was  more  essential,  as 
the  foundation  of  all  virtue,  a  deep  religious  feeling,  they  were  distin 
guished.  These  virtues  were  strongly  impressed  upon  the  community 
they  established,  presenting  in  subsequent  times  a  striking  contrast  to 
some  other  neighbourhoods  on  the  Pedee,  where  dissipation  and  irreli- 
gion  so  much  prevailed. 

"The  Welsh  brought  with  them  to  a  new  country  those  marked  fea 
tures  for  which  their  ancestors  had  been  noted  long  before.  The  Welsh 
are  said  to  have  been  more  jealous  of  their  liberties  than  even  the  Eng 
lish,  and  far  more  irascible,  though  their  jealousy  soon  abated." 

In  the  first  list  of  these  early  settlers  occur  names 
which  South  Carolina  has  ever  delighted  to  put  upon  its 
roll  of  honour.  Allusion  need  only  be  made  to  those  of 
James,  Wild,  and  Evans,  conspicuous  amongst  those  she 
has  clothed  with  the  ermine,  both  in  former  and  in  recent 
days  ;  whilst  others  are  as  household  words  to  those  who 
have  traced  the  fortunes  of  the  State  through  her  che 
quered  history.  In  the  bosom  of  these  names  is  found 
that  of  William  Terrell,  (originally  Tarell),  who  appears 
in  1738  taking  out  titles  to  land,  showing  him  a  man  of 
substance,  according  to  the  distribution  of  property  in  his 
day.  His  son,  bearing  also  the  name  of  William,  seems 
to  have  been  engaged  in  the  public  service  prior  to  the 
Revolution ;  while  the  grandson,  Captain  John  Terrell,  of 
Marlborough  District,  is  tersely  described  as  "a  worthy 
descendant  of  the  old  Welsh  stock,  and  one  of  the  best 
men  of  his  day  and  generation."  From  this  family  sprung 
the  mother  of  Dr.  Thorn  well,  she  being  the  granddaugh 
ter  of  William  Terrell,  whose  name  is  mentioned  above, 
amongst  the  first  settlers  on  the  Pedee. 

She  was  endowed  by  nature  with  an  intellect  of  the 
highest  order,  though  unimproved  by  education;  possess 
ing  great  strength  of  will,  and  a  boundless  ambition  for 
the  advancement  of  her  sons,  in  whom  she  discovered 
early  proofs  of  mental  power.  The  investigations  of  soi- 


10  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

ence  will,  perhaps,  never  interpret  to  us  the  law  of  trans 
mission,  by  which  characteristic  traits  are  derived  from 
parent  to  child,  through  which  a  distinct  type  is  impressed 
upon  families  and  tribes,  and  by  which,  more  myste 
riously  still,  the  intellectual  average  is  preserved  in  the 
race  at  large.  This  case  might,  perhaps,  be  added  to  hun 
dreds  of  others,  which  seem  to  confirm  the  theory  that 
the  intellectual  qualities  come  predominantly  from  the 
mother,  while,  perhaps,  the  moral  descend  more  conspic 
uously  from  the  father. 

This  is  not  the  place,  nor  are  we  the  parties,  to  discuss- 
a  physiological  theory  like  this.  But  the  pages  of  history 
will  probably  be  searched  in  vain  for  a  truly  great  man 
who  had  a  fool  for  his  mother.  However  this  may  be* 
the  Christian  will  be  delighted  to  see,  in  this  biography, 
the  fulfilment  of  those  rich  promises  which  the  God  of 
grace  has  made  to  the  widow  and  the  orphan.  In  how 
many  broken  households  a  feeble  and  desolate  woman 
lifts  her  heart  to  God  for  strength  to  bear,  not  only  the 
burdens  of  her  own  sex,  but  those  which  should  have 
been  borne  by  her  stricken  partner!  How  often  does 
she  toil  in  poverty  and  sorrow,  to  support  her  fatherless 
children,  whom  she  is  permitted  to  see  emerging  at  length 
from  obscurity  and  want,  to  the  highest  distinctions  of 
society !  It  was  given  to  this  widowed  mother  to  have 
her  proud  ambition  fulfilled;  as  this  son,  clothed  with 
academic  honours,  sat  among  the  senators  and  nobles  of 
the  land,  the  noblest  patrician  of  them  all,  the  pride  of  his 
native  State,  the  joy  and  ornament  of  the  Church,  and 
with  a  fame  spread  over  two  continents,  the  peerless  man 
of  his  time.  It  only  remains  to  be  added,  that  Mrs.  Thorn- 
well  was,  throughout  life,  an  earnest  Christian,  warmly 
attached  to  the  doctrines  and  order  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
in  whose  communion  she  remained  through  seven  and 
thirty  years,  to  the  moment  of  her  death.  That  she  im 
pressed  her  own  convictions  of  truth  upon  those  depend 
ent  upon  her  care,  might  be  inferred  from  the  massive 


PARENTAGE  AND  BERTH.  11 

force  of  her  character.  There  is,  besides,  the  affection 
ate  testimony  of  her  son,  who,  in  his  Inaugural  Dis 
course,  upon  assuming  the  Chair  of  Divinity  in  the  Theo 
logical  School  at  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  openly  ac 
knowledged  his  "  thanks  to  a  noble  mother,  who  had 
taught  him  from  the  cradle  those  eternal  principles  of 
grace,  which  that  book  (the  Confession  of  Faith)  con 
tains.'' 


CHAPTEE   II. 
EARLY  BOYHOOD. 

OBPHANAGE. — EARLY  POVERTY. — AN  OLD-FIELD  SCHOOL. — His  FIRST 
TEACHERS. — ACCOUNT  OF  MR.  MC!NTYBE. — ATTACHMENT  TO  His 
PUPIL. — HABITS  OF  STUDY. — EARLY  AMBITION. — FIRST  IMPRESSIONS 
OF  His  GENIUS. — INTRODUCTION  TO  His  FUTURE  PATBONS. — INDIF- 

FEBENCE  TO  PLAY. — MORAL  AND  KfiLIGIOUS  TRAITS. 

VE  must  return  now  to  the  chamber  of  death,  where 
the  head  of  a  dependent  household  lies  dressed  for 
the  tomb.  Alas  for  the  poor !  It  is  one  of  the  hardships 
of  their  lot  that  they  have  not  leisure  even  for  grief. 
The  stern  necessities  of  life  press  at  once  upon  the  aching 
heart,  and  they  may  not  indulge  the  secret  luxury  of  woe. 
It  is  not  for  them  to  draw  the  curtains  over  the  window, 
and  in  the  darkened  solitude  to  feed  upon  the  precious 
memories  of  the  past.  Ye  favoured  children  of  fortune, 
who  find  it  so  hard  to  break  away  from  sweet  communion 
with  the  dead, — so  hard,  with  thoughts  flying  upward  to 
their  strange  world,  to  take  up  again  the  commonplaces 
of  this  poor  earth, — think  with  pity  of  such  as  must  choke 
down  their  great  sorrow  even  while  the  parting  kiss  rests 
upon  the  marble  brow,  and  turn  at  once  to  the  life-long 
struggle  for  bread ! 

It  was  too  old  a  thought  for  our  little  orphan  weeping 
at  the  spring,  "What  will  become  of  us?"  Yet  even  he 
must  pierce  the  gloom  of  the  future  in  the  sad  anti 
cipation  of  suffering  and  .want.  How  much  darker  the 
shadow  that  lay  upon  the  heart  of  the  mother  and  widow, 
was  revealed  by  no  passionate  cry  from  her  lips.  There 
was  only  the  "  stony  grief,"  the  first  sickness  of  a  heart 
that  finds  itself  alone  with  its  own  desolateness.  Her 

13 


14  LIFE  OF  JAMEti  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

strong  nature,  too,  had  been  already  compacted  by  life's 
hard  discipline,  and  could  better  look  upon  the  cloud  that 
blackened  the  future  before  her.  Yet  soon  the  question 
must  be  hers,  as  well  as  that  of  her  boy,  "  What  shall  we 
do  ?  "  Hath  not  God  other  ravens  besides  those  which 
fed  Elijah  ?  Perhaps  a  voice  spoke  out  of  the  bosom  of 
that  cloud,  saying,  "  Leave  thy  fatherless  children ;  I  will 
preserve  them  alive ;  and  let  your  widows  trust  in  Me." 
Perhaps  a  deep  but  quiet  faith  responded  to  the  gracious 
assurance;  and  the  burden  was  lighter  when  it  had  been 
"  cast  upon  the  Lord,  who  will  never  suffer  the  righteous 
to  be  moved."  It  is  not  for  the  historian  to  penetrate  these 
experiences  of  God's  hidden  ones;  only  this  we  know, 
"  The  secret  of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  Him,  and 
He  will  show  them  His  covenant." 

Some  time  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  a  home  was 
provided  for  her  and  her  children  by  Captain  John  Ter 
rell,  her  first  cousin,  an  excellent  and  pious  member  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  who  removed  them  near  to  himself, 
in  a  portion  of  Marlborough  district  known  as  Level 
Green.  With  only  a  little  money  in  hand,  and  the  pos 
session  of  one  slave,  she  was  henceforth  dependent  upon 
her  own  industry,  and  the  assistance  of  this  worthy  kins 
man,  for  support.  A  positive  and  self-reliant  character 
such  as  hers,  would  not,  however,  be  likely  to  tax  too 
heavily  the  generosity  which  was  so  freely  extended  by 
him.  In  the  beautiful  language  of  Rudolph  Stier,  "Man 
lifts  his  imploring,  empty  hand  to  heaven,  and  God  lays 
work  upon  it;  thus  hast  thou  thy  bread."  By  weaving, 
sewing,  and  such  forms  of  labour  as  were  suited  to  her 
sex,  she  was  enabled,  not  only  to  "  give  meat  to  her 
household,"  but  to  secure  to  them  such  elementary  edu 
cation  as  the  neighbourhood  afforded.  In  later  days, 
when  a  modest  refinement  graced  his  own  abode,  we  have 
heard  Dr.  Thornwell  contrast  it. with  the  poverty  of  those 
early  days.  But  it  was  always  with  that  playful  badinage 
so  characteristic  of  his  social  moods  ;  and  no  one  could 


EARLY  BOYHOOD.  15 

tell  how  far  the  picture  he  drew  was  intended  to  repre 
sent  the  actual  facts,  or  how  far  he  craved  the  license  of 
heightening  by  exaggeration  the  colours  on  the  canvass. 
The  subject  was  too  delicate  to  inquire  about;  and  he  was 
never  egotistic  enough  to  touch,  except  by  incidental 
reference,  upon  details  that  were  simply  personal.  The 
difficulty  of  bridging  with  scant  material  the  chasm  of 
this  early  period,  lias  led  the  writer  deeply  to  regret  that 
he  never  availed  himself  of  the  privilege  of  friendship  in 
bursting  through  this  reserve,  and  learning  all  that  he 
would  have  freely  told  of  the  trials  and  triumphs  of  his 
boyhood.  But  the  opportunity  was  lost,  through  mutual 
delicacy,  restraining,  on  the  one  side,  what  might  seem  a 
prurient  curiosity,  prying  into  the  sanctities  of  life,  and 
on  the  other,  what  might  be  deemed  ostentatious  vanity  in 
disclosing  the  disadvantages  which  had  been  splendidly 
surmounted.  From  the  nature  of  the  case,  it  could 
not  have  been  a  home  of  plenty  in  which  his  youth 
was  nurtured ;  and  it  is  doubtful  if  even  his  unaided 
strength  could  have  thrown  off  the  oppression  which 
so  often  stifles  the  aspirations,  as  it  extinguishes  the  op 
portunities,  of  genius.  The  worst  evil  of  poverty  is  not 
found  in  the  privations  it  inflicts  ;  for  these  are,  to  a  large 
degree,  matters  of  convention  and  of  habit.  It  is  rather 
the  complete  engrossment  of  the  mind  upon  petty  and 
consuming  cares,  where  the  exactions  of  toil  yield  only 
to  the  weariness  which  buries  all  in  sleep.  It  is  the  con 
stant  repression  of  the  affections,  which  have  no  time  for 
play,  and  the  consequent  blunting  of  the  sensibilities, 
which  inflict  a  wound  upon  the  nature  itself,  as  sad  as  it 
is  incurable.  But  perhaps  the  saddest  feature  of  urgent 
poverty  is,  that  it  allows  no  childhood.  It  is  but  a  step 
from  the  nursery  into  the  workshop,  and  heavy  care  sits 
upon  a  heart  that  has  known  no  mirth.  What  little 
of  childhood  may  have  been  enjoyed  in  the  brief  passage 
goes,  too,  without  a  record.  No  traditions  are  handed 
down,  when  all  are  too  busy  to  note  the  changes  in  the 


16  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

formation  of  character.  Even  our  illustrious  friend  is  no 
exception.  "We  look  for  his  boyhood,  and  there  is  none. 
Much  of  this  unquestionably  is  due  to  the  majesty  of  his 
genius,  which  gave  him  the  strength  and  thoughtfulness 
of  the  man,  whilst  in  stature  and  in  age  he  was  still  a 
child.  But  in  gathering  the  fragmentary  reminiscences 
from  which  these  pages  are  compiled,  one  can  scarcely 
help  weeping  over  that  hard  necessity  of  fortune  which 
has  left  his  earliest  years  without  a  record. 

It  must  have  been  during  the  first  portion  of  the  year 
A.  D.  1821  that  this  widowed  mother  found  herself  at 
Level  Green,  in  the  new  home  provided  by  her  generous 
kinsman ;  and  here  it  was  that  young  Thorn  well  received 
the  rudiments  of  an  English  education.  He  has  himself 
given  somewhere  an  amusing  description  of  an  old  field 
school,  such  as  were  once  common  in  retired  sections  of 
the  country,  and  which  may  not  yet  be  entirely  super 
seded.  The  picture  was  evidently  drawn  from  the  life, 
though  we  can  but  faintly  sketch  the  outline  from  me 
mory.  Let  the  reader  then  figure  to  himself  a  rude 
building  of  logs,  the  interstices  being  filled  with  clay  or 
covered  by  clap-boards,  a  huge  chimney  at  one  end, 
small  windows  innocent  of  glass,  and  wide  doors,  which 
let  in  the  wind  together  with  the  light ;  a  slanting  shelf, 
stretching  the  whole  length  of  the  room,  answering  as  a 
desk,  at  which  the  pupils  stood  to  write;  benches  of  a 
primitive  pattern,  mere  slabs  with  pins  driven  in  the 
round  side  for  legs,  and  the  flat  side  turned  upward  for 
the  seat,  and  wholly  unsuspicious  of  any  support  for  the 
back;  and  he  has  before  him  the  usual  appointments  of 
an  old  field  school.  It  would  not  be  safe  to  say  too 
much  as  to  the  gentleman  of  the  birch  and  ferrule,  seated 
before  a  deal  table  between  the  opposite  doors.  The 
slender  emoluments  derived  from  the  State's  thin  bounty, 
and  the  small  fees  exacted  of  such  as  could  pay,  would 
scarcely  entice  men  of  much  culture  into  these  precincts. 
They  were,  however,  generally  equal  to  the  necessities  of 


EARLY  BOYHOOD.  17 

the  region.  They  could  engineer  a  boy  through  Webster's 
Spelling-Book  and  Pike's  Arithmetic,  rising  sometimes 
to  the  dignity  of  Morse's  Geography  and  Murray's  Gram 
mar,  and  teaching  elocution  from  the  Columbian  Orator. 
Occasionally  there  appeared  teachers  of  real  merit,  as  we 
shall  presently  see.  Yet  in  these  unpretending  seminaries 
was  laid  the  foundation  of  scholarship  with  some  of  the 
best  thinkers,  who  have  tilled  the  highest  judicial  and 
legislative  positions  in  the  land.  It  is  ascertained  that, 
between  the  years  1821  and  1823,  young  Thorn  well  was 
successively  under  the  discipline  of  three  teachers,  whose 
names  are  all  that  is  handed  down  to  us.  They  were 
Eugene  Kinnon,  an  Irish  Roman  Catholic;  Daniel  Smith, 
who  came  from  Robeson  county,  North  Carolina;  and 
Levi  Lagget,  of  unknown  origin.  It  is  impossible  to  say 
what  was  his  precise  indebtedness  to  these  first  teachers. 
But  if  the  astounding  statement  is  to  be  received  on  a 
single  authority,  that  he  was  ignorant  of  his  letters  at 
nine  years  of  age,  we  have  only  to  measure  backward 
from  his  knowledge  at  fourteen  to  be  convinced  that  the 
whole  intervening  period  must  have  been  marked  by  an 
astonishing  progress. 

In  1823  Mr.  Mclntyre  appears  as  the  teacher  at  Level 
Green,  a  name  which  deserves  to  be  linked  in  grateful 
remembrance  with  that  of  his  distinguished  pupil,  as  the 
earliest  of  his  benefactors.  The  debt  which  the  world  at 
large  owes  to  this  gentleman,  as  being  the  first  to  pluck 
from  obscurity  our  "mute  inglorious  Milton,"  we  will  seek 
in  part  to  discharge  by  placing  his  record,  so  far  as  it  may 
be  gathered,  by  the  side  of  the  protege  whose  merit  he 
was  the  first  to  disclose.  Mr.  Peter  Mclntyre  came  from 
a  Scotch  settlement  on  Drowning  creek,  in  North  Caro 
lina,  upon  the  old  stage  road  from  Cheraw  to  Fayetteville. 
The  Scotch  had  a  large  settlement  on  this  creek,  and 
persons  are  still  living  who  remember  the  annual  fair 
accustomed  to  be  held  among  them,  at  or  near  a  place 
called  Laurel  Hill.  Here,  too,  was  an  excellent  school, 


18  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

in  which  were  educated  such  men  as  the  Grahams,  the 
Gilchrists,  and  others  who  have  made  themselves  famous 
in  that  State.  Mr.  Mclntyre  was  a  member  of  the  Me 
thodist  Church,  and  a  local  preacher,  though  he  devoted 
his  life  to  teaching.  He  married  Miss  Anna  Seals,  sister 
of  the  Rev.  David  Seals,  long  known  as  a  minister  in  the 
South  Carolina  Conference.  After  finishing  his  career 
as  a  teacher  in  Marlborough  District,  Mr.  Mclntyre  re 
moved  to  Macon,  Georgia,  where  he  presided  over  an 
academy  for  some  time;  and  subsequently  went  to  Ala 
bama,  where  all  trace  of  him  has  been  lost.  If  still  alive, 
it  might  prove  a  solace  of  his  declining  age  to  know  how 
many  bless  his  memory  who  have  profited  under  the 
instructions,  or  have  rejoiced  in  the  friendship,  of  the 
pupil  of  his  early  years.  He  is  represented  on  every 
side  as  a  most  excellent  man,  a  thorough  scholar,  with  a 
peculiar  tact  in  imparting  knowledge,  and  a  certain  mag 
netic  power  in  drawing  persons  to  him,  and  of  impressing 
his  stamp  upon  them.  These  qualities  could  not  fail  to 
make  him  a  successful  teacher;  whilst  a  mild  and  gentle 
disposition  united  him  in  warm  friendship,  not  only  with 
his  pupils,  but  with  those  whose  association  was  far  less 
intimate. 

Young  Thornwell's  connection  with  Mr.  Mclntyre  was 
fortunately  continued  through  a  period  of  at  least  three 
years.  The  dates  cannot  be  fixed  with  absolute  preci 
sion.  But  the  year  1823  is  generally  assigned  as  the 
beginning  of  his  teaching  at  Level  Green;  and  in  1826 
Thornwell  is  still  with  him,  though  in  a  different  neigh 
bourhood.  His  proficiency  was  so  rapid,  his  habits  so 
studious,  and  the  evidence  of  his  genius  so  conspicuous, 
as  to  enlist  the  entire  professional  and  personal  sympathy 
of  the  preceptor.  The  proof  of  this  is  furnished  in  what 
occurred  when  the  happy  relation  between  the  two  was 
threatened  with  sudden  dissolution.  Mr.  Mclntyre  ac 
cepted  an  invitation  from  the  Messrs.  Pegues,  James  and 
Malachi,  and  their  immediate  neighbours,  to  establish 


EARLY  BOYHOOD.  19 

amongst  them  a  select  school,  composed  of  their  children. 
Upon  removing,  however,  to  his  new  charge,  he  said  to 
Mr.  Malachi  Pegues,  that  there  was  a  boy  of  very  re 
markable  talents  in  the  neighbourhood  where  he  had 
been  teaching,  with  wrhom  he  was  reluctant  to  part.  He 
proposed,  therefore,  to  continue  his  education  gratui 
tously,  if  Mr.  Pegues  would  afford  him  a  home  in  his  own 
family.  Upon  learning  that  the  lad  was  a  son  of  the 
Thornwell  whom  he  had  familiarly  known  in  former 
years,  he  readily  consented.  The  arrangement  was  duly 
carried  out;  and,  as  the  inmate  of  his  house,  our  little 
student  continued  to  enjoy  the  instructions  of  his  old 
preceptor. 

The  same  diligence  and  ardour  marked  his  career  now 
as  before.  In  these  early  years  were  formed  those  habits 
of  intense  application,  which  never  deserted  him  to  the 
close  of  his  life.  During  the  long  watches  of  the  night, 
whilst  other  boys  slept,  he  was  poring  over  the  lessons 
of  the  succeeding  day,  digging  into  the  intricacies  of  ob- 
iSolete  languages,  analyzing  their  structure,  and  mastering 
their  idioms.  The  real  enthusiasm  of  the  scholar  bore 
him  on  to  understand  their  genius,  and  to  absorb  their 
spirit.  So,  too,  the  hours  of  recreation,  which  other 
boys  surrendered  to  active  and  healthful  sport,  were 
spent  by  him  in  threading  the  mazes  of  history,  or  in 
dallying  with  the  pleasures  of  literature.  It  is  wonderful 
that  a  physical  frame,  slender  from  the  beginning,  did 
not  give  way  under  these  severe  % exactions,  at  a  time 
when  the  constitution  needs  to  be  consolidated.  It  is 
more  wonderful  still,  that  the  mind  itself  was  not  smoth 
ered  beneath  its  accumulated  load,  at  a  period  when  the 
most  delicate  problem  in  education  is  to  measure  know 
ledge  to  the  capacity  for  receiving  it.  In  his  case  there 
was  a  marvellous  physical  endurance  underlying  that 
feeble  body,  and  a  mental  digestion  which  assimilated 
these  huge  stores,  without  which  the  gift  of  genius  would 
have  proved  the  signature  for  the  tomb.  Already  he  has 


20  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

ceased  to  be  a  boy.  The  attitude  and  habits  of  a  man 
have  displaced  those  of  the  child.  He  has  no  relish  for 
the  rude  sports  in  which  his  companions  engage;  not,  as 
some  allege,  from  the  consciousness  of  his  physical  infe 
riority  to  them,  but  from  that  consuming  love  of  study 
which  always  made  the  acquisition  of  knowledge  his 
supreme  delight.  His  ambition,  too,  was  equal  to  his 
powers ;  and  it  was  exceedingly  well  defined,  even  at  this 
early  age.  Being  asked,  in  later  life,  what  first  excited 
his  ambition  to  be  a  man  of  learning,  his  reply  was,  that 
"from  his  earliest  knowledge  of  himself,  he  had  felt  it 
working  as  a  passion  within  him." 

This  will  be  illustrated  by  a  story,  which  falls  in  here  as 
a  necessary  link  in  his  fortunes.  A  physician,  Dr.  Graves,. 
a  native  of  Virginia,  and  graduate  of  the  Philadelphia 
School  of  Medicine,  at  that  time  lived  in  Cheraw,  and 
practised  in  the  surrounding  country.  In  paying  a  pro 
fessional  visit  to  the  family  of  Mr.  Pegues,  his  attention 
was  attracted  to  a  pale  and  diminutive  boy,  who,  in  utter 
indifference  to  the  sports  of  his  companions,  was  absorbed 
in  the  perusal  of  a  book.  It  turned  out,  upon  inquiry,  to 
be  Hume's  History  of  England.  In  playful  banter,  the 
visitor  advised  the  lad  to  "read  something  he  could  un 
derstand."  Instantly  the  book  was  in  his  hands,  with  a 
challenge  for  examination  upon  its  contents.  There  was 
a  piquancy  in  this,  which  was,  to  say  the  least,  exciting. 
The  examination  was  begun  and  protracted,  with  a  grow 
ing  wonder  at  the  student's  thoughtful  familiarity  with 
the  volume.  The  interview  was  prolonged,  and  conver 
sation  was  shifted  from  subject  to  subject ; 

"And  still  the  wonder  grew 
That  one  small  head  could  carry  all  he  knew." 

The  profound  conviction  was  riveted  upon  the  mind  of 
Dr.  Graves,  that  he  was  confronted  by  one  of  those  intel 
lectual  prodigies  sometimes  thrown  up  in  life,  who  are 
to  be  judged  by  no  ordinary  standard.  The  impression 
was  not  transient.  "Wherever  he  went  he  carried  the 


EARLY  BOYHOOD.  21 

story  of  this  remarkable  genius,  growing  up  under  the 
shade  of  the  Pegues  settlement.  Amongst  others,  it  was 
told  to  General  James  Gillespie,  a  wealthy  planter,  who 
lived  about  four  miles  distant,  and  to  William  H.  Robbins, 
Esq.,  a  rising  lawyer  in  the  town  of  Cheraw,  with  the  addi 
tional  remark  that  "  it  would  not  be  surprising  if  this  pale- 
faced  youth  should  one  day  be  the  President  of  the  United 
States."  Of  course  this  American  hyperbole  was  simply 
a  compendious  expression  that,  in  the  speaker's  judgment, 
this  obscure  lad  possessed  abilities  to  achieve  the  highest 
statesmanship,  and  that  his  present  attainments  were  an 
augury  of  brilliant  success  in  any  direction.  These  state 
ments  were  corroborated  by  the  enthusiastic  testimony  of 
Mr.  Mclntyre  himself.  General  Gillespie,  by  occasional 
attendance  upon  the  examinations  of  the  school,  had  also 
the  opportunity  of  forming  his  individual  opinion  as  to 
the  merits  of  young  Thornwell.  The  combined  effect  of 
testimony  and  observation  was  such  as  to  lead  this  gen 
tleman  to  undertake  his  entire  future  education,  as  soon 
as  he  should  be  discharged  from  the  tutelage  of  Mr. 
Mclntyre.  Stating  this  purpose  afterwards  to  Mr.  Bob 
bins,  he  came  forward  with  an  offer  to  divide  the  ex 
penses  which  should  accrue;  and  the  two  became  hence 
forth  the  joint  patrons  of  our  young  friend. 

The  institution  of  these  new  relations  must,  however, 
be  reserved  for  another  chapter.  "What  remains  of  this 
will  best  be  occupied  with  a  general  view  of  his  dispo 
sition  and  character,  so  far  as  yet  developed.  The  truth 
of  the  old  adage  will  hardly  be  questioned,  "  The  boy  is 
father  to  the  man."  Certainly  the  moral  traits  which 
distinguished  childhood,  if  accurately  noted,  will  be  found 
to  be  carried  over,  in  a  modified  form,  to  mature  years. 
The  student  life  of  young  Thornwell  has,  perhaps,  been 
sufficiently  depicted.  Its  special  features  might  doubtless 
be  more  fully  expanded ;  such,  for  instance,  as  the  steady 
impulse  of  his  ambition,  his  power  of  concentration,  the 
thoroughness  with  which  he  penetrated  beneath  the  sur- 


22  XIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

face  of  things  to  their  essence,  and  the  royal  delight  he 
felt  in  knowledge,  which  spurned  all  lower  joy.  But 
they  are  all  comprehended  in  the  description  which  has 
already  been  given.  One  little  incident  may,  however, 
be  narrated,  as  illustrating  how  early  he  had  formed  that 
almost  personal  attachment  which  a  true  scholar  feels  for 
his  books,  as  though  they  were  living  friends,  with  whom 
a  living  communion  is  maintained.  Whilst  with  Mr. 
Mclntyre,  all  his  books  were  consumed  one  night  by  fire, 
with  the  school  house,  except  those  he  was  at  the  moment 
studying.  His  distress  was  overwhelming ;  nor  could  he 
refer  to  the  loss  without  tears,  for  weeks  afterwards. 
One  can  scarcely  repress  a  smile  at  such  grief  over  the 
destruction  of  a  library,  which  was  certainly  not  of  Alex 
andrian  proportions.  But  beneath  it  there  will  lurk  a  true 
sympathy  with  that  scholarly  feeling  which  made  him  thus 
early  anticipate  the  immortal  sentiment  of  Milton,  which 
he  had  not  yet  read:  " Books . are  not  absolutely  dead 
things,  but  do  preserve,  as  in  a  vial,  the  purest  efficacy 
and  extraction  of  that  living  intellect  that  bred  them." 
Those  who  recall  the  look  of  affection  with  which,  in  his 
prime,  Dr.  Thornwell  would  gaze  upon  the  volumes  in 
his  library,  and  the  pride  with  which  he  would  exhibit 
the  best  editions,  will  recognize  in  these  boyish  tears  one 
of  his  marked  characteristics. 

His  indifference  to  play  whilst  a  boy  must  not  be  con 
strued  as  a  sign  of  a  morose  and  cynical  temper.  He  is 
described,  on  the  contrary,  at  this  time  as  eminently 
genial  and  social,  warm  in  his  affections,  and  fond  of 
talking  with  others  about  the  books  he  read  and  the 
studies  which  he  pursued.  He  was  not  simply  popular, 
but  exceedingly  beloved  by  his  companions ;  the  best 
evidence  of  which  is,  that  the  schoolmates  of  those  early 
days  clung,  with  rare  devotion,  to  him  throughout  life ; 
and  such  as  still  survive  cherish  his  memory  with  a  ten 
derness  which  is  the  best  tribute  that  love  can  pay  to 
merit.  Indeed,  it  could  scarcely  be  otherwise,  unless 


EARLY   BOY  HOOP.  23 

there  Lad  been  something  in  his  natural  disposition  to 
repel  friendship.  He  came  into  no  rivalry  with  his  com 
panions  on  the  play-ground,  and  they  offered  no  com 
petition  with  him  in  the  school-room.  Perhaps,  through 
his  whole  life,  no  one  was  ever  pierced  less  by  the  shafts 
of  envy.  His  intellectual  superiority  was  so  universally 
and  so  cordially  conceded,  that  he  was  lifted  above  the 
jealousy  which  competition  engenders ;  whilst  the  esprit 
du  corps  which  belongs  to  every  class,  begat  in  his  com 
peers  that  feeling  of  pride,  which,  unless  repelled,  easily 
glides  into  personal  aifection.  It  was  his  grand  fortune 
through  life  to  be  surrounded  by  friends,  whose  love  was 
never  tainted  with  envy ;  who  rejoiced  in  his  fame,  without 
the  desire  to  pluck  one  leaf  from  the  laurels  with  which 
he  was  crowned.  It  must  have  been  a  generous  nature 
which  always  commanded  homage  like  this. 

His  habit  of  late  study  at  night  necessitated  late  rising 
in  the  morning.  Indeed,  whilst  a  boy,  his  morning  sleep 
was  so  profound  that  he  had  literally  to  be  pulled  out  of 
bed.  Doubtless  nature  was  thus  at  pains  to  repair  the 
heavy  drafts  which  were  made  upon  her  resources.  This 
peculiarity,  however,  marked  his  wrhole  career.  His  studies 
were  prosecuted  chiefly  at  night,  and  he  was  habitually  a 
late  sleeper.  He  claimed  this,  indeed,  as  an  idiosyncrasy ; 
and  many  were  the  ingenious  arguments  he  would  invent, 
in  playful  banter,  to  prove  that  the  day  was  intended  for 
rest,  and  the  night  for  work ;  and  that  man,  in  his  per- 
verseness,  had  wrongfully  changed  the  original  and  proper 
arrangement  of  Providence. 

At  this  early  age,  no  proclivity  to  any  form  of  vice 
would  be  expected.  Only  once  he  is  represented  to  have 
tasted  liquor  to  intoxication ;  for  which,  as  he  richly  de 
served,  he  received  the  severest  whipping  of  his  life.  He 
became,  however,  early  addicted  to  the  use  of  tobacco ; 
commencing  to  chew  at  eleven  years  of  age,  and  a  little 
later,  to  smoke ;  both  of  which  habits  he  indulged  freely 
until  his  death.  Dr.  Thornwell  was  wont  to  speak  of 


24:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

himself  as  having  been  a  bad  boy,  which  the  surviving 
members  of  his  family  most  affectionately  deny.  It  is  a 
general  expression,  used  by  the  two  in  very  different 
senses.  Upon  his  lips,  it  is  just  the  confession  which 
would  fall  from  any  good  man,  calling  to  mind  "  the  sins 
of  his  youth."  But  from  the  positive  traits  which  belonged 
to  him,  and  which  we  only  knew  as  modified  by  Divine 
grace,  it  is  easy  to  understand  how  his  boyhood  may  have 
been  distinguished  by  a  certain  wilfulness  and  contra 
diction  of  authority,  which  called  for  the  correction  of  the 
rod.  Happily  for  him,  the  mother  was  a  woman  of 
vigorous  understanding  and  strong  will,  which  knew  how 
to  put  a  curb  upon  such  a  temper.  The  writer  has  more 
than  once  heard  him  refer  to-  these  early  contests  between 
insubordination  and  authority.  He  would  rub  his  hands, 
and  tell,  with  a  hearty  relish  of  humour,  how  some  childish 
misdemeanour  would  induce  him  to  take  refuge  in  the 
woods,  from  anticipated  chastisement,  until  the  solid 
night  had  shrouded  the  house  in  darkness ;  then,  creeping 
softly  to  his  bed,  he  would  lose  in  grateful  sleep  all  appre 
hension  of  the  future.  But,  alas !  the  sure  retribution 
would  come  in  the  morning,  when  he  found  a  thin  sheet 
but  a  poor  defence  from  the  long,  wiry  switch  that  rained 
its  cutting  rebukes  upon  the  naked  limbs.  This  is  what 
he  meant  by  the  badness  of  his  youth :  that  "  foolishness 
bound  up  in  the  heart  of  a  child,"  which  Solomon  said, 
and  his  mother  believed,  "the  rod  of  correction  must 
drive  out." 

Beneath  all  this,  there  was  an  outcropping  of  religious 
convictions,  rather  unusual  in  a  boy  of  thirteen,  and  which 
we  notice  here  from  a  still  more  singular  exhibition  of 
them,  which  we  will  meet  a  little  later.  He  had  evidently 
imbibed  from  his  mother's  teachings  and  influence  a  de 
cided  predilection  for  the  Calvinistic  view  of  Divine 
truth.  Always  outspoken  in  his  opinions,  and  ever  ready 
to  sustain  them  with  reasons,  he  was  somewhat  of  a  thorn 
in  the  good  Methodist  family  where  he  resided.  Mrs. 


EABLY  BOYHOOD.  25 

Pegues,  especially,  who  was  warmly  attached  to  the  doc 
trines  of  her  church,  was  often  annoyed  by  the  young 
polemic.  Doubtless  he  was  often  more  irritating  than 
convincing.  "We  can  easily  fancy  how,  at  unseasonable 
moments,  and  in  a  way  more  dogmatic  than  courteous,  a 
disputatious  boy  might  push  "  the  five  points  "  into  other 
people's  eyes.  It  is  no  small  proof  of  this  lady's  bene 
volence,  that  she  could  bear  the  intrusion  from  this  source 
at  all.  Though  she  continued  to  treat  him  with  a  kindness 
which  made  no  discrimination  between  him  and  her  own 
sons,  there  was  always  a  little  soreness  in  her  heart  from 
these  disputes.  It  is  of  value  to  us  only  as  the  earliest 
indication  of  religious  thought,  throwing  light  upon  an 
obscure  experience  by  and  by. 


CHAPTEE    III. 

HIS  PATRONS. 

BRIEF  SKETCH  OP  THE  GENERALS  GILLESPIE. — THEIR  AFFECTION  FOR 
THEIR  WARD. — SKETCH  OF  MR.  BOBBINS. — His  MARKED  INFLUENCE 
IN  DEVELOPING  THE  GENIUS  INTRUSTED  TO  HIS  CARE. 

THE  successive  steps  by  which  the  subject  of  these 
Memoirs  was  led  up  from  obscurity,  exhibits  a  mar 
vellous  adaptation  in  the  agencies  employed,  to  the  ex 
igencies  of  each  particular  stage.  When  left  an  orphan, 
and  the  question  was  one  simply  of  bread,  this  was  pro 
vided  through  the  care  of  a  considerate  kinsman.  After 
he  had  stumbled  through  the  rudiments  of  an  English 
education,  and  had  reached  the  critical  moment  for  laying 
the  foundation  of  accurate  scholarship,  a  teacher  is  fur 
nished  exactly  suited  to  this  work  of  drill;  under  whose 
instruction  he  remains,  without  disastrous  change,  until 
this  is  accomplished.  Then,  in  a  way  seemingly  fortui 
tous,  he  attracts  the  notice  of  a  stranger,  who  sounds  his 
praise  throughout  the  region;  until  at  length  the  friends  are 
raised  up,  who  secure  to  him  a  complete  education,  never 
relaxing  their  benevolence  until  he  is  afloat  in  life,  and 
able  to  return  to  others  the  benefits  received  from  them. 
The  two  gentlemen  who  now  assume  the  guardianship 
over  him  were  benefactors,  not  simply  with  the  purse, 
but  in  the  distinct  impression  of  their  character  upon  his. 
A  kind  Providence  lias  brought  him  into  just  sucli  per 
sonal  relations  as  were  suited  to  his  development.  The 
orphan  finds  in  them  more  than  the  father  whom,  six 
years  ago,  he  had  lost. 

To  enbalm  in  this  narrative  the  names  of  Gillespie  and 
of  Robbins,  is  a  legacy  silently  bequeathed  to  the  biographer 


28  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

of  their  illustrious  protege ;  a  sort  of  remainder  in  trust,  to 
be  executed  on  his  behalf,  to  the  memory  of  those  to  whom 
he  was  so  largely  indebted.  Could  his  own  pen  have 
made  the  acknowledgment,  the  throbbing  gratitude  would 
only  have  been  equalled  by  the  delicacy  of  its  expression. 
We  can  but  rudely  sketch  the  portraits,  upon  which  the 
reader  will  not  be  unwilling  to  look. 

We  are  again  indebted  to  Bishop  Gregg's  "  History  of 
the  Old  Cheraws,"  for  the  first  trace  of  the  Gillespie 
family.  The  name  (originally  spelt  Galespy)  first  occurs 
on  the  public  registry,  in  A.  D.  1743,  when  James  Galespy 
petitioned  the  Council,  "  that,  having  six  persons  in  his 
family,  a  warrant  of  survey  for  three  hundred  acres  be 
granted  him  in  the  i  Welsh  Tract.' "  He  was  not,  however, 
a  Welshman,  but  came  from  the  north  of  Ireland.  "  He 
was  a  man  of  energy  and  enterprise;  and  was  engaged 
with  General  Christopher  Gadsden,  of  Charleston,  in 
boating  on  the  Pedee,  many  years  before  the  Revolution. 
He  settled  at  length  higher  up  the  river,  near  to  the  pre 
sent  site  of  Cheraw,  and  entered  on  a  successful  career 
as  a  trader."  Two  sons  inherited  his  name,  Francis  and 
James.  The  former  died  prior  to  the  American  Revolu 
tion  ;  the  latter,  Major  James  Galespy,  having  at  that 
time  reached  his  majority,  took  an  active  part  in  the 
struggle,  and  after  the  war  was  over  amassed  a  handsome 
estate.  He  left  a  considerable  family,  most  of  whom, 
before  or  soon  after  maturity,  died  from  consumption. 
Two  sons,  however,  survived  to  rear  families  of  their  own  : 
General  Samuel  Wilds  Gillespie,  and  General  James 
Gillespie. 

The  last  mentioned  is  he  of  whom  we  are  speaking,  as 
the  patron  with  whom  young  Thornwell  was  particularly 
identified ;  though  it  is  proper  to  add  just  here,  that  after 
the  lad  was  prepared  for  College,  both  brothers  were  asso 
ciated  with  Mr.  Bobbins  in  defraying  the  expenses  of  his 
University  course.  They  were  both  planters,  men  of 
large  views,  generous  impulses,  and  great  public  spirit. 


HIS  PATRONS.  2y 

After  the  death  of  the  former,  which  occurred  in  mid-life, 
General  James  Gillespie  was  left  the  sole  survivor  of  his 
father's  family ;  and  no  one  was  ever  more  respected  in  his 
native  District  of  Marlborough.  He  still  lives,  at  a  venera 
ble  age,  a  pious  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  quietly 
awaiting  the  summons  to  the  rest  above,  upon  which  his 
hope  and  faith  have  long  been  fastened. 

It  is  impossible  to  estimate  the  influence,  upon  the  plas 
tic  mind  of  a  noble-spirited  boy,  of  intimate  intercourse 
with  two  such  men  as  the  Generals  Gillespie.  They  were 
both  eminent  types  of  the  Old  School  Southern  gentleman. 
Quiet  and  sell-contained,  with  an  easy  dignity  engendered 
of  self-respect,  and  just  a  touch  of  reserve,  which  sat  like 
a  porter  in  his  lodge,  to  open  and  shut  the  gates  of  inter 
course  as  might  be  desired;  observing  with  scrupulous 
exactness  all  the  amenities  of  life ;  with  a  polished  educa 
tion,  and  that  fine  sense  of  honour  which  shrunk  from  the 
very  thought  of  meanness  as  from  the  touch  of  a  leper : 
such  were  the  men  in  whose  cultivated  homes  and  refined 
society  our  youthful  friend  finds  himself  adopted.  The 
influence  upon  him  may  have  been  as  gentle  as  the 
light ;  but  like  the  light,  it  was  absorbed,  and  tinged  his 
life  as  plants  draw  their  colour  from  the  sun. 

No  form  of  charity,  probably,  yields  as  quick  and  large 
returns  as  the  education  of  a  promising  youth  ;  and  some 
of  the  brightest  gems  with  which  society  is  adorned  were 
thus  rescued  from  the  rubbish,  where  they  would  have  re 
mained  buried  for  ever.  The  affection,  too,  which  springs 
up  betwixt  the  beneficiary  and  his  patron,  is  often  one  of 
the  purest  that  is  known  on  earth.  The  bonds  of  kind 
ness  on  the  one  hand,  and  gratitude  on  the  other,  bring 
the  two  into  relations  only  less  endeared  than  betwixt 
parent  and  child.  The  correspondence  shortly  to  be  in 
troduced,  will  show  such  to  have  been  the  affection  between 
Dr.  Thornwell  and  the  friends  of  his  early  dependence. 
It  will  serve  to  illustrate  that  entertained  by  General 
Gillespie,  to  relate  an  incident  which  occurred  with  the. 


30  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

writer  of  these  pages.  At  one  of  the  commencements  of 
the  South  Carolina  College,  during  the  presidency  of  Dr. 
Thoniwell,  the  pressure  of  the  crowd  thrust  the  writer 
into  an  uneasy  posture,  directly  behind  the  chair  occupied 
by  General  Gillespie,  as  a  trustee,  upon  the  rostrum.  In 
one  of  the  pauses  between  the  speeches,  when  the  music 
gave  the  signal  for  relaxation,  and  the  hum  of  conver 
sation  pervaded  the  house,  he  leant  forward  and  whispered 
in  the  ear  of  his  neighbour :  "  General,  I  would  give  a 
good  deal  to  drop  down  into  the  middle  of  your  heart,  and 
see  exactly  how  you  feel,  as  you  sit  there  and  see  and  hear 
that  man,  now  clothed  with  the  highest  dignities  of  the 
State,  whom  you  helped  to  occupy  that  post  of  honour." 
Turning  round,  with  eyes  brimming  with  tears,  and  a 
voice  tremulous  with  emotion,  he  replied :  "  Mr.  Palmer, 
you  would  have  to  go  down  into  this  heart  to  find  it  out ; 
for  I  have  no  words  in  which  to  express  the  gratitude  and 
joy  which  the  recollection  gives  me."  Truly  there  are 
cases  in  which  "  it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive  ;" 
and  with  a  generous  nature,  a  gratitude  for  the  privilege 
of  doing  good  may  rise  as  high  as  the  gratitude  wrhich  ac 
knowledges  '  an  obligation.  Whatever  losses  may  have 
accrued  from  the  ravages  of  war,  this  venerable  benefactor 
has  an  investment  in  the  usefulness  of  his  ward,  stretching 
along  the  ages  yet  to  come,  of  which  neither  time  nor 
eternity  will  ever  deprive  him. 

With  his  other  patron,  Mr.  Bobbins,  young  Thornwell 
was  thrown  into  associations  more  intimate  and  constant ; 
the  intellectual  and  moral  impression  made  upon  him  was, 
therefore,  more  distinct.  We  are  glad,  for  this  reason, 
that  the  fuller  details  furnished  will  enable  us  to  render 
this  sketch  more  complete  than  the  preceding. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  BOBBINS  was  born  in  October,  A.  D. 
1795,  in  Hallo  well ;  at  that  time  in  a  district  of  Massa 
chusetts,  but  now  in  the  State  of  Maine.  Prior  to  his 
birth,  his  parents  resided  in  Plymouth,  Massachusetts, 
where  his  grandfather,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bobbins,  was  the 


HIS  PATKONS.  31 

pastor  of  the  First  Orthodox  Congregation.  He  appears 
to  have  been  religiously  trained ;  his  journal,  which  he 
kept  from  1810,  being  largely  occupied  with  the  abstracts 
of  sermons  to  which  he  listened  in  his  youth.  Most  un 
fortunately  for  the  purposes  of  this  biography,  the  journal 
of  Mr.  Robbins,  which  he  continued,  almost  to  the  time  of 
his  decease,  was  destroyed  in  a  recent  fire.  It  would  have 
enabled  us  to  fix  with  precision  some  dates  which  are  now 
uncertain,  and  would  have  contributed  valuable  facts 
known  to  no  other  party.  His  education,  begun  at  Hallo- 
well,  was  completed  at  Bowdoin  College,  Brunswick, 
Maine,  under  the  presidency  of  Dr.  Appletori.  After  his 
graduation,  he  studied  law,  under  Judge  Wilde,  subse 
quently  upon  the  Supreme  Bench  in  the  State  of  Massa 
chusetts;  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  city  of 
Boston.  Finding,  however,  a  Northern  clime  too  severe 
for  his  delicate  constitution,  he  resolved  to  move  South ; 
a  purpose  which  was  delayed  two  years,  in  deference  to  the 
opposition  of  parents  and  friends.  The  necessity  of  change 
became  only  too  apparent  at  the  end  of  this  time ;  and  on 
January  the  2nd,  1820,  he  sailed  from  Boston  to  Wil 
mington,  North  Carolina.  He  studied  the  laws  of  this 
State,  at  Fayetteville,  taking  a  few  pupils  to  defray  his 
current  expenses ;  and  in  the  spring  of  the  same  year  ap 
plied  for  admission  to  practice.  Most  unaccountably,  he 
was  rejected  by  the  Court,  as  he  himself  believed,  through 
the  influence  of  a  strong  prejudice  against  men  of  Northern 
birth.  It  was  a  crushing  blow ;  not  only  disappointing 
his  expectations  of  providing  a  coanfortable  home,  but  in 
flicting  a  severe  wound  upon  sensibilities  which  were 
peculiarly  alive  to  that  form  of  suffering.  To  all  this  was 
added  the  mortification  of  being  seemingly  compelled  to 
return  home,  to  meet  the  irritating  sympathy  of  those  who 
had  predicted  his  failure. 

This  necessity  was  averted  by  one  of  those  trivial  inci 
dents,  which  men  term  fortuitous,  but  are  so  often  the 
hinge  upon  which  our  whole  destiny  turns.  The  Hon- 


32  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

curable  "William  Lowndes,  of  South  Carolina,  happened 
just  then  to  be  passing  through  Fayetteville,  on  his  way  to 
Washington  City,  to  attend  the  sessions  of  Congress.  To 
him  Mr.  Bobbins  related  his  discomfiture,  and  his  purpose 
of  returning  North.  "  No,"  responded  Mr.  Lowndes,  "  do 
not  go  North,  but  to  South  Carolina,  where  no  such,  pre 
judice  exists."  This  counsel  led  to  a  correspondence  with 
Mr.  Dunkin,  of  Charleston,  also  a  Massachusetts  manr 
who  subsequently  sat  upon  the  Chancery  Bench  in  his 
adopted  State. 

Through  the  encouragement  received  from  this  gen 
tleman,  Mr.  Bobbins  removed  to  South  Carolina  in  the 
autumn  of  1821,  and  settled  at  Society  Hill,  in  Dar 
lington  District.  After  making  himself  familiar  with  the 
local  statutes,  he  was,  in  the  spring  of  1822,  admitted 
without  difficulty  to  the  practice  of  his  profession.  His 
means  were  by  this  time  exhausted,  while  the  trials  of  a 
novitiate  were  still  to  be  encountered.  With  an  inde 
pendence  truly  heroic,  he  accepted  the  fact  of  his  poverty. 
Being  unable  to  purchase  a  horse,  he  was  accustomed  to 
walk  the  whole  distance  from  Society  Hill  to  the  county 
seats  of  Darlington,  Chesterfield,  and  Marlborough, — each 
being  fifteen  miles  distant, — in  his  attendance  upon  court. 
As  an  illustration,  not  only  of  his  independence,  but  of 
his  strict  integrity,  it  may  be  mentioned  that,  after  one  of 
these  pedestrian  tours,  a  friend  tapped  at  his  office  window, 
and  said,  "  Mr.  Bobbins,  I  fear  you  have  not  much  busi 
ness,  arid  may  be  in  want  of  money ;  I  will  lend  it  to  you 
on  your  own  time."  Touched  by  this  unexpected  kind 
ness,  he  could  only  reply  by  the  pressure  of  the  hand; 
but  subsequently  wrote  a  note  acknowledging  the  offer, 
and  saying  that,  "though  his  means  were  indeed  small, 
he  was  not  willing  to  take  the  risk  of  involving  another 
in  loss,  when  his  success  was  so  uncertain."  These  self- 
reliant  qualities  seldom  fail  in  the  end ;  and  he  soon  built 
up  a  practice  which  at  least  relieved  him  from  the  urgency 
of  pressure.  After  his  removal  to  Cheraw,  his  practice 


HIS  PATRONS.  33 

became  remunerative ;  so  that,  in  the  course  of  twenty 
years,  he  acquired  a  handsome  competence,  and  left  his 
family  in  circumstances  of  ease  at  his  death.  His  business 
was  chiefly  that  of  a  counsellor  in  the  collection  of  ac 
counts  and  the  settlement  of  estates.  He  was  distin 
guished  for  system  and  precision  in  the  duties  of  his  office, 
and  for  punctuality  and  fidelity  to  his  clients.  Such  was 
his  reputation  for  legal  knowledge  and  accuracy,  that,  by 
the  testimony  of  one  of  the  judges  before  whom  he  was 
accustomed  to  appear,  it  was  only  necessary  to  know  that 
the  papers  were  drawn  by  his  hand  to  be  assured  of  their 
invulnerability;  and  such  were  his  judgment  and  skill, 
that  he  was  never  known  to  lose  a  case  where  he  himself 
brought  the  action. 

These  facts,  together  with  what  remains  from  his  own 
pen,  reveal  a  mind  intensely  practical  and  earnest.  He 
took  life  as  it  was,  and  dealt  with  it  on  the  principles  of 
vigorous  common  sense.  His  determinations  were  almost 
judicial  in  their  cast;  and  a  just  moderation  marked  his 
whole  career,  both  in  the  opinions  he  formed,  and  the  policy 
he  pursued.  His  equipoise  was  almost  perfect.  Cautious 
in  the  committal  of  himself,  he  was  inflexible  in  the  deci 
sion:  one  upon  \vhom  others  could  lean,  and  never  disap 
pointing  the  expectations  which  he  had  raised.  Such  men 
are  rarely  demonstrative ;  but  their  aiFections  are  usually 
deep  and  constant.  Mr.  Robbins  had  broad  sympathies, 
and  unceasing  charity;  but  both  were  under  the  control 
of  principle.  He  felt  it  a  conviction  of  duty  to  aid  helpless 
merit ;  sharpened,  doubtless,  into  a  sentiment,  by  the  recol 
lection  of  his  own  struggle  to  gain  foothold  upon  life.  He 
early  practised  economy  and  self-denial,  in  order  to  fulfil 
this  obligation;  for  he  was  only  upon  the  first  flood  of 
professional  success,  when  his  generous  hand  was  stretched 
for  the  relief  of  our  young  friend,  and  whilst  he  was  bur 
dened  with  the  secret  support  of  some  of  his  own  kindred 
at  a  distance. 

The  impression  has  almost  universally  obtained,  that  in 


34:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

liis  religious  views  Mr.  Robbins  was  a  Unitarian.  The 
charge  is  warmly  repelled  by  his  surviving  family,  who 
allege  that  no  trace  of  this  is  to  be  found  in  the  journal 
where  his  private  thoughts  were  recorded,  nor  can  their 
memory  recall  any  admission  of  it  from  his  own  lips.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  fact  is  affirmed  by  others,  without  a 
suspicion  of  its  accuracy;  and,  what  is  the  most  staggering 
of  all,  it  is  stated  by  those  whose  spiritual  relations  to  him 
would  afford  the  best  opportunity  of  knowing  his  views 
with  certainty.  The  discrepancy  can  be  explained  only 
in  one  way.  He  was  educated,  as  we  have  seen,  in  the 
orthodox  faith,  and  to  the  period  of  his  removal  South  sat 
constantly  under  an  orthodox  ministry.  But  the  ortho 
doxy  of  ISTew  England  delighted  at  this  time  to  be  known 
as  a  "  modified  orthodoxy."  The  term  is  not  ours ;  and 
we  will  allow  the  'distinction  to  be  stated  by  a  clergyman 
of  that  region,  a  near  relative,  who  was  consulted  on  this 
very  point.  In  a  letter,  bearing  date  January  22d,  1873, 
lie  writes: 

"  It  is  well  known  that,  about  the  beginning  of  the  present  century, 
there  was  a  very  general  departure  among  the  churches  of  Massachusetts 
f  roui  the  old  orthodox  ground.  Nearly  all  the  oldest  churches  along  the 
shores  of  the  Bay,  from  Cape  Cod  to  Cape  Ann,  including  the  churches 
in  Boston,  partook  of  the  movement.  The  objection,  as  then  urged, 
to  the  old  orthodoxy,  was  rather  to  its  exclusiveness,  and  to  certain 
stereotyped  dogmatic  statements  and  metaphysical  distinctions,  which, 
as  was  then  thought,  had  been  substituted  in  the  place  of  simple  and 
hearty  belief  in  Jesus  Christ  as  the  only  ground  of  salvation,  than  to 
any  evangelical  doctrine  stated  in  Scripture  terms.  This  was  very  dif 
ferent  from  what  has  since  appeared,  under  the  name  of  Unitarians. 
Its  spirit  was  thoroughly  loyal  to  Christ  and  the  Bible." 

It  is  not  difficult,  then,  to  understand  how  a  mind,  con 
stitutionally  averse  to  all  extreme  views,  and  letting  go 
the  sharp  distinctions  and  technical  nomenclature,  with 
out  which  neither  divine  nor  any  other  truth  can  be  sci 
entifically  stated,  should  be  involved  in  perfect  confusion 
and  mist  upon  the  subject  of  the  Holy  Trinity.  If  plied, 
too,  with  Unitarian  books  arid  tracts,  as  he  was  by  some 
of  his  family  connexions  in  New  England,  he  would  soon 


HIS  PATRONS.  35 

M;IV<T  in  the  acceptance  of  the  facts  themselves,  which 
could  no  longer  be  represented  to  his  own  mind  in  any 
definite  propositions.  The  truth  is  apt  to  slip  away  from 
our  grasp,  as  soon  as  we  disallow  the  necessary  terms  by 
which  alone  it  can  be  defined,  and  without  which  it  can 
no  longer  be  reflectively  considered.  Thus,  probably,  he 
became  tainted  with  the  Socinian  heresy,  without  form 
ally  adopting  it  as  a  creed,  or  abandoning  entirely  the 
traditional  faith  of  his  youth.  These  difficulties  would 
naturally  be  mentioned  in  confidential  intercourse,  and, 
with  his  religious  guides,  might  well  assume  the  form 
of  polemic  discussion,  in  the  effort  to  escape  from  the 
mist  of  speculation,  and  to  give  a  palpable  shape  and 
body  to  what  flitted  before  him  only  as  airy  abstractions. 

We  have  been  thus  minute,  from  a  profound  respect  to 
the  memory  of  one  who  has  such  a  just'  claim  upon  Pres 
byterian  gratitude.  His  religious  opinions  should  either 
not  be  given  to  history  at  all,  or  the  evidence  should  be 
produced  upon  which  they  are  supposed  to  rest. 

But  in  whatever  form  this  error  may  have  existed, 
whether  floating  in  the  mind  as  a  vague  doubt,  or  crys 
tallized  into  a  fixed  opinion,  it  was  squarely  abandoned 
some  ten  or  twelve  years  before  his  death,  when,  under 
the  preaching  of  the  celebrated  revivalist,  Dr.  Daniel  Ba 
ker,  he  became  the  subject  of  renewing  grace.  Attaching 
himself  to  the  Episcopal  Church,  he  remained  a  consistent 
and  devoted  Christian  to  the  end.  "  His  piety,"  writes 
the  pastor  who  was  with  him  in  his  last  moments,  "  was 
a  pervading,  steady  principle,  which  imbued  his  whole 
life;  and  he  passed  calmly  and  peaceably  to  his  rest, 
in  the  full  possession  of  his  faculties,  and  of  the  testimony 
of  a  good  conscience ;  in  the  communion  of  the  Catholic 
Church;  in  the  confidence  of  a  certain  faith;  in  the  com 
fort  of  a  reasonable,  religious  and  holy  hope ;  in  favour,  I 
doubt  not,  with  God ;  and  in  charity  with  the  world.  His 
end  was  like  a  peaceful,  gradual  transfiguration  of  the 
mortal  into  the  immortal;  like  a  melting  out  of  our 


36  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

earthly  sight  into  the  invisible  world  of  spirit."  The 
disease,  consumption,  which  had  threatened  his  early 
manhood,  returned  upon  him,  after  a  long  suspension. 
Through  five  years  the  battle  was  maintained,  during 
which  he  was  often  obliged  to  leave. home;  once  to  take 
a  sea  voyage,  as  well  as  to  invoke  the  skill  of  an  eminent 
physician  in  Paris.  At  length  the  destroyer  triumphed;, 
and  he  fell  asleep  on  the  26th  of  March,  1813,  in  the 
forty-eighth  year  of  his  age.  His  rare  modesty,  his  con 
tempt  for  the  artificial  distinctions  of  life,  and  the  sense 
of  the  littleness  of  earth,  all  found  characteristic  expres 
sion  in  the  ^inscription  traced,  by  his  own  direction,  upon 
his  tomb : 

' '  My  name,  my  country,  \vhat  is  that  to  thee  ; 
What,  whether  high  or  low,  my  pedigree  ? 
Perhaps  I  far  surpassed  all  other  men ; 
Perhaps  I  fell  below  them  :  what  then  ? 
Suffice  it,  stranger,  that  thou  see'st  a  tomb  ; 
Thou  know'st  its  use ;  it  hides, — no  matter  whom." 

Without  name  or  date,  how  solemnly  this  rebuke  of 
human  vanity  peals  forth  in  the  silent  graveyard  of  St. 
David's  .Church ! 

Such  was  the  man  with  whom  James  Thornwell  was 
thrown  into  what  may  be  termed  a  closet  intercourse, 
during  the  most  forming  period  of  a  boy's  life,  between 
the  ages  of  fourteen  and  eighteen.  There  is  no  calculus 
by  which  to  measure  the  benefit  which  accrued.  But, 
surveying  the  whole  of  his  after  career,  and  knowing  all 
that  Providence  designed  himr  to  be,  it  is  clear  no  influ 
ence  could  have  better  shaped  him  for  the  end  in  view^ 
Mr.  Robbins  was  an  accomplished  man;  imbued  with 
the  spirit,  as  well  as  with  the  letter,  of  the  ancient 
classics,  having  comprehensive  and  philosophic  views,, 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  history  in  its  entire  range, 
and  not  insensible  to  what  was  beautiful  in  literature  and 
art.  A  vigorous  and  clear  intellect  like  his  was  nothing 
less  than  a.  Voltaic  battery,  waking  up  the  young  mind  be- 


HIS  PATRONS.  37 

fore  it,  that  was  only  too  capable  of  absorbing  the  living 
energy  which  thrilled  along  every  nerve,  and  charged 
every  power  with  its  secret  virtue.  Here  is  a  lad  pos 
sessing  the  ambition  to  become  all  that  is  possible,  with 
a  lofty  ideal  ever  beckoning  him  forward,  with  a  thirst  for 
knowledge  which  no  acquisitions  can  quench;  and  here, 
at  his  side,  is  a  full  fountain,  pouring  forth  its  magnetic 
waters,  stimulating  the  appetite  which  they  seem  to  fill. 
The  influence  of  Mr.  Bobbins  was  not  less  happy  in  its 
modifying  power.  The  conspicuous  attribute  of  his  mind 
was  its  practicalness,  which  made  him  an  admirable 
trainer  for  a  genius.  It  dealt  alone  with  facts  and  prin 
ciples;  and  these  were  applied  with  a  rigour  and  precision 
that  estopped  all  extravagances,  and  brought  one  down 
to  sedate  and  earnest  thinking.  Truth,  in  her  unadorned 
majesty,  \vas  the  touchstone  by  which  every  thing  was  to 
be  tested.  The  wise  cautions,  and  sometimes  the  trench- 
;mt  criticisms,  which  are  to  be  found  in  his  letters,  reveal 
him  as  the  Mentor  of  Telemachus  to  his  young  ward. 
And  if  the  genius  which  he  successfully  trained  did  not 
prove  that  fatal  gift  which  so  often  blasts  its  possessor — 
if  it  proved  a  genius  disciplined  by  culture,  and  harness 
ing  itself  to  the  practical  duties  of  life,  until  it  wrought 
a  work  full  of  blessing  to  the  world — much  of  it  is  due 
to  the  moulding  influence  of  this  clear,  strong,  and  prac 
tical  rnind,  which  gave  direction  to  its  aspirations,  and 
shaped  its  development.  It  is  not  always  given  us  to 
trace  the  agencies  and  methods  by  which  we  have  been 
secretly  educated  for  our  work;  but  the  most  remarkable 
feature  in  this  history  is,  the  happy  training  by  which 
the  subject  of  it  was  disciplined  from  the  opening  of  his 
career. 


CHAPTER   IV. 
PREPARATION  FOR  COLLEGE. 

REMOVAL  TO  CHEBAW. — ABODE  WITH  MB.  BOBBINS. — CONFIDENTIAL  KE- 
LATIONS  WITH  HlM. — FlBST  APPEABANCE  AS  A  DEBATES. — ENTBANCE 
INTO  THE  CHEBAW  ACADEMY. — LOVE  FOB  THE  CLASSICS. — EABLY  FOND 
NESS  FOB  METAPHYSICS. — COBBESPONDENCE  WITH  His  PATBON. — SIN- 
GULAB  LETTEB. — TENDENCY  TO  MOBAL  SPECULATIONS. 

AS  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  Mr.  Mclntyre  ceased 
to  teach  in  the  Pegues  settlement  some  time  in  the 
year  1826.  In  accordance  with  an  arrangement  previously 
made,  James  Thornwell,  then  between  thirteen  and  four 
teen  years  of  age,  went  to  General  Gillespie.  The  design 
to  educate  him  fully  does  not  appear  to  have  been  at  that 
time  definitely  formed.  The  new  friends  were  only  pledged 
at  first  to  advance  him  in  his  studies ;  and  they  were  grad 
ually  led  forward,  by  the  exhibition  of  his  superior  merits, 
to  complete  what  had  been  so  auspiciously  begun.  He 
was  accordingly  sent  to  Cheraw,  and  became  a  private 
pupil  cf  Mr.  Robbins,  and  an  inmate  of  his  house.  Mr. 
RobKns  was  at  that  period  a  bachelor,  and  remained  so 
during  the  whole  of  young  Thornwell's  dependence  upon 
him.  The  solitude  of  his  life  was  not,  therefore,  un 
pleasantly  broken  by  the  companionship  of  his  pupil, 
whilst  freedom  from  domestic  care  afforded  the  leisure 
for  his  instruction. 

The  personal  appearance  of  the  youth  was  almost  a 
burlesque  upon  the  extraordinary  reputation  which  had 
preceded  him.  Smaller  in  size  than  most  boys  of  ten 
years,  sallow  in  complexion,  and  with  a  general  sickliness 
of  hue,  his  bodily  presence  was  anything  but  attractive. 
Mr.  Bobbins,  who,  with  characteristic  caution,  received 

39 


40  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

him  tentatively  at  first,  declares  that,  upon  his  introduc 
tion,  he  mentally  exclaimed,  "Surely,  Gillespie  must  be 
deceived  in  taking  this  boy  to  be  a  genius."  A  few  hours' 
conversation  perfectly  satisfied  him  on  this  point ;  and  in 
a  short  time  the  relations  between  the  two  became  like 
those  of  an  elder  and  a  younger  brother.  Mr.  Bobbins  tes 
tifies  that,  "  as  a  boy  he  never  delighted  in  the  sports  of 
boys,  and  he  was  from  the  beginning  a  companion  to  me." 
Indeed,  so  much  satisfaction  did  he  find  in  the  society  of 
his  ward,  and  so  sweetly  grew  upon  him  the  office  of  in 
struction,  that  the  little  bed  that  had  been  provided  for 
him  in  another  apartment  was  soon  removed  .to  his  own 
chamber,  that  they  might  converse  to  the  last  moment 
before  falling  asleep.  Touching  friendship  between  the 
man  of  one  and  thirty  years  and  the  stripling  of  fourteen  ! 
It  is  not  the  cold  guardian,  holding  himself  in  stately  re 
serve  towards  his  ward ;  nor  the  formal  preceptor,  con 
tenting  himself  with  a  mechanical  drill;  but  an  elder 
brother,  taking  into  his  bosom  the  little  one  of  the  house 
hold,  whom  a  sad  orphanage  has  placed  there,  to  be  nour 
ished  with  something  of  a  parent's  care.  It  is  difficult  to 
say  upon  which  of  the  two  the  greater  honour  is  reflected. 
If  it  be  a  proof  of  the  boy's  precocity,  it  was  not  less  an 
evidence  of  the  patron's  generosity.  A  true  benevolence 
is  seen  as  much  in  the  grace  of  the  conveyance  as  in  the 
benefit  conferred ;  and  it  is  a  kingly  heart  that  knows 
how  to  let  its  charities  fall  gently  as  the  flakes  of  snow. 

Whilst  thus  secluded  under  private  tutelage,  James  was 
not  wholly  withdrawn  from  association  with  those  of  his 
own  age.  One,  who  became  afterwards  his  classmate  and 
bosom  friend,  thus  writes :  "  My  first  distinct  and  never- 
to-be-forgotten  impression  of  this  glorious  man  was  in  a 
boys'  debating  society,  connected  with  the  Cheraw  Acad 
emy,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  though  not  at  that  time 
a  pupil  of  the  school.  The  question  to  be  discussed  was 
this :  whether,  in  a  particular  case,  the  circumstances  of 
which  were  specified,  it  would  be  right  for  the  Governor 


PREPARATION  FOR  COLLEGE.  4.1 

to  exercise  the  pardoning  power  ?  Young  Thornwell 
made  a  powerful  speech  upon  the  negative  side,  and 
carried  the  vote  of  the  society.  He  impressed  all  of  us 
as  we  never  before  had  been,  by  his  eloquence  and  the 
force  of  his  arguments.  Pale,  swarthy,  and  sickly  in  ap 
pearance,  his  voice  was  strong,  and  the  words  flowed  from 
him  like  a  rushing  torrent.  He  quoted  Greek  and  Roman 
history,  and  even  then  showed  the  logician  in  a  most  re 
markable  manner."  This  incident  is  worthy  of  record, 
not  only  in  proof  of  the  early  possession  of  those  natural 
gifts  by  which  he  t  was  afterwards  distinguished,  but  as 
illustrating  the  mould  into  which  he  began  morally  to 
crystalize.  However  we  may  abstractly  admit  the  in 
fluence  of  disposition  and  temperament  upon  the  opinions 
we  form,  few  of  us  appreciate  the  extent  to  which  this 
gives  complexion  to  our  convictions.  The  truth  which  is 
accepted  by  one  class  of  men  without  an  effort,  can  scarcely 
make  its  impression  upon  another  class ;  and  this  diffe 
rence  results,  not  so  much  from  a  variation  in  their  mental 
structure,  as  from  the  bias  of  some  idiosyncracy  of  nature. 
John  Foster,  for  example,  wavered  upon  the  doctrine  of 
the  eternity  of  future  punishment,  not  from  any  weight  of 
evidence  which  controlled  his  judgment,  but  from  an  ex 
cess  of  sensibility  which  shrank  from  its  contemplation. 
The  dreadfulness  of  the  thought  overwhelmed  and  crushed 
him.  His  reason  was  put  under  arrest,  and  his  judgment 
was  suspended.  He  could  not  pronounce  either  way,  hi? 
faith  forbidding  its  clear  rejection,  and  his  morbid  sensi 
bility  shrinking  from  its  acceptance.  It  was  a  clear  case 
of  tortured  feeling  as  against  reason  and  faith.  "  Non  ex 
quovis  ligno  Mqrcurius fit" 

Men  like  Calvin  and  Knox  are  not  made  of  softly 
material  like  Malancthon  and  Erasmus,  and  probably  no 
amount  of  mere  intellectual  pursuasion  could  ever  convert 
the  one  into  the  other.  But  our  young  debater  has  those 
robust  qualities,  which  enable  him  to  see  a  glory  in  jus 
tice  as  well  as  in  mercy ;  that  if  the  one  be  the  pillar  of 


42  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORCOVELL. 

beauty,  the  other  is  the  pillar  of  strength,  that  stands  be 
side  it,  in  the  temple  of  God.  How  far  this  early  prede- 
liction  to  vindicate  the  majesty  of  law  may  be  due  to  the 
Calvinistic  teachings  of  "  a  noble  mother,"  it  is  not  need 
ful  to  inquire  ;  but  the  shaping  hand  of  an  unseen  power 
can  be  traced  all  through,  preparing  the  future  champion  of 
the  truth,  who  should  assert  the  integrity  of  the  Divine 
government  against  the  mawkish  sentiment  that  would 
rob  it  of  its  necessary  sanction. 

James  was  naturally  taken  into  the  office,  as  well  a& 
into  the  house  and  chamber,  of  his  patron.  Here  he 
studied,  and  at  intervals  recited.  If  business  accumulated 
with  unwonted  pressure,  the  boy's  leisure  might  well  be 
employed  in  copying  such  legal  forms  as  required  nothing 
beyond  attention  and  care.  He  wrote  at  this  time  a  bold, 
round  hand,  which  was  afterwards  greatly  contracted ; 
always,  indeed,  neat  and  clean,  presenting  to  the  eye  a 
pleasing  regularity,  and  perfectly  legible,  but  also  singu- 
lafly  compact.  We  have  never  seen  but  one  person  who 
had  the  power  of  putting  an  equal  number  of  words 
upon  a  page;  and,  strangely  enough,  he  was  an  eminent 
lawyer  and  judge.  By  gradual  practice,  James  became 
skilful  in  drawing  up  legal  papers,  such,  at  least,  as  the 
simpler  processes  required,  and  soon  rose  into  the  position 
of  a  useful  assistant.  He  acquired  a  general  knowledge  of 
the  office  business,  and  could  be  safely  trusted  with  its  rou 
tine,  in  the  absence  of  Mr.  Robbins;  sometimes  collecting 
accounts  and  making  the  necessary  entries  and  deposits, 
and  sometimes  answering  the  inquiries  and  letters  of 
clients.  The  following  story  illustrates  the  ardour  with 
which  he  threw  himself  into  all  subjects  that  attracted 
his  attention,  and  the  ingenious  methods  of  self-discipline 
to  which  he  resorted:  A  gentleman  passing  one  day  by 
Mr.  Kobbins's  office,  heard  voices  that  seemed  to  be  en 
gaged  in  loud  and  earnest  discussion.  He  drew  near 
enough  to  learn  that  a  flagrant  ca^e  of  hog  stealing  wa& 
upon  its  trial.  Upon  looking  through  the  window  there 


PREPARATION  FOR  COLLEGE.  43 

was  "little  Jimmie"  going  through  the  rehearsal  alone, 
changing  his  voice  as  he  personated  severally  the  judge, 
the  jury,  the  prosecuting  attorney,  and  the  counsel  for  the 
defence,  not  omitting,  in  his  strict  impartiality,  the  crimi 
nal  himself.  In  this  connection  the  following  anecdote 
may  be  related,  not  so  much  for  disclosing  his  capacity,  as 
illustrating  the  positiveness  of  his  character  and  the  tone 
of  his  principles:  On  one  occasion,  in  the  absence  of 
Mr.  Bobbins,  a  client  entered  the  office,  and  made  some 
inquiries  which  rendered  it  necessary  to  refer  to  Mr.  Rob- 
bins's  account-book.  Having  informed  himself  of  what* 
he  desired  to  know,  James  left  the  book  open  on  the  desk. 
Presently  the  visitor  approached,  and  was  about  to  make 
a  personal  inspection  of  its  contents,  when  James  promptly 
arose,  and  closed  the  book  in  his  face,  saying  that  he 
would  allow  no  stranger  to  inspect  Mr.  Robbins's  private 
entries.  It  was,  doubtless,  inconsiderateness  in  the  party, 
for  he  took  no  offence,  and  spoke  of  it  to  others  with 
hearty  approval  of  the  boy's  spirit.  It  is  through  this 
instinctive  outworking  of  secret  principles,  without  the 
aid  of  reflection,  that  character  is  really  disclosed. 

It  is  impossible  to  determine  how  long  he  remained 
under  the  exclusive  preceptorship  of  Mr.  Robbins;  nor 
when  he  was  transferred  to  the  more  systematic  discipline 
of  the  Cheraw -Academy.  The  reasons  for  the  change 
are  sufficiently  obvious.  The  growing  demands  of  an 
exacting  profession  must,  of  course,  introduce  irregularity 
on  the  part  of  the  teacher,  whilst  the  ripening  intellect 
and  more  advanced  studies  of  the  pupil  would  render 
important  the  drill  of  a  regular  school.  He  probably 
enjoyed  its  larger  advantages  during  the  better  portion 
of  two  years  prior  to  his  admission  into  college;  that  is 
to  say,  during  the  years  of  1828  and  1829.  The  Academy 
was  then  under  the  care  of  Mr.  John  G.  Bowman  and 
Dr.  Thomas  Graham,  the  latter  being  from  Drowning 
Creek,  North  Carolina,  which  seems  to  have  been  the 
nursery  of  teachers  for  a  large  district  of  country.  Both 


44:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

were  excellent  instructors,  and  Mr.  Bowman  enjoyed  the 
reputation  of  being  a  superior  Greek  scholar.  The  tra 
dition  is  still  rife  in  Cheraw,  how  James  Thorn  well  wore 
out  the  tedious  night  in  severe  application  to  study.  His 
proficiency  was  in  proportion  to  his  diligence  and  enthu 
siasm  combined;  and  his  examination  at  the  final  term 
was  so  brilliant  as  to  determine  his  benefactors  not  to 
arrest  his  progress  at  this  -stage,  but  to  give  him  the  ben 
efit  of  a  university  course.  Some  idea  may  be  formed, 
from  the  following  story,  of  his  power  of  abstraction  and 
concentration  in  study:  A  gentleman  in  Mr.  Robbins's 
office  commenced  a  conversation  upon  some  private  and 
-confidential  matter,  but  suddenly  paused  upon  observing 
the  lad  sitting  there  and  reading  a  book.  "Oh!"  replied 
Mr.  Bobbins,  "you  need  not  mind  him;  I  will  soon  con 
vince  you  that  he  does  not  hear  a  word  of  what  we  are 
saying."  Whereupon  he  began  with  a  loud  voice,  abusing 
James  in  terms  well  calculated  to  excite  his  anger.  The 
unconscious  subject  of  this  tirade  sat  with  listless  ears,  in 
happy  ignorance  of  the  practical  joke  played  off  at  his 
expense ;  and  the  visitor  resumed,  and  finished  the  inter 
view  with  a  perfect  assurance  of  its  privacy. 

He  had  no  love  for  the  study  of  mathematics,  though 
he  pursued  it  as  a  duty;  but  he  revelled  in  the  classics,  in 
which  he  so  perfected  himself  as  to  become  a  wonder  in 
the  eyes  of  scholars  like  himself.  PC  displayed,  also,  at 
this  period,  a  fondness  for  metaphysical  studies,  in  which 
he  afterwards  pre-eminently  excelled.  The  writer  received 
from  his  own  lips  the  following  fact,  which  bears  internal 
.evidence  of  having  occurred  during  the  earlier  portion  of 
his  connection  with  Mr.  Bobbins,  whilst  he  was  still  an 
undeveloped  youth.  This  gentleman  found  him  poring 
over  Locke's  "Essay  on  the  Human  Understanding,"  and 
badgered  him  upon  the  hardihood  of  attacking  a  work  so 
abstruse,  and  so  clearly  beyond  his  years.*  Piqued,  as  he 
himself  relates,  at  this  implied  disparagement  of  Jiis 
powers,  he  resolved  at  once  to  master  the  book;  and 


PREPARATION  FOR  COLLEGE.  45 

master  it  he  did,  and  for  all  coming  time.  Shortly  after, 
he  happened  to  light,  among  the  volumes  in  General 
Gillespie's  library,  on  Dugald  Stewart's  "Elements  of  the 
Philosophy  of  the  Human  Mind."  To  use  his  own  lan 
guage,  he  "felt  that  his  fortune  was  now  made;"  and 
devoured  it  with  the  same  avaricious  delight  that  he  had 
experienced  in  the  other.  Upon  what  slender  contin 
gencies  does  our  destiny  often  turn  !  And  who  can  trace 
up  to  its  source  the  influence  which  bears  us  on  to  what 
we  afterward  become !  Dr.  Thornwell  was  accustomed 
to  refer  to  this  incident  as  having  given  him  the  first 
conscious  bias  to  philosophy.  It  was  doubtless  the  pivot 
upon  which  his  whole  intellectual  history  subsequently 
hinged.  The  right  book,  read  at  the  right  time,  roused 
a,  dormant  capacity,  just  when  it  needed  to  awake  and 
determine  the  character  of  a  brilliant  and  useful  career. 
Thus  does  Providence  watch  over  its  chosen  instruments, 
and  a  hidden  hand  touches  the  secret  springs  of  activity 
and  life. 

In  the  summer  of  1828,  Mr.  Bobbins  left  home  upon  a 
visit  to  New  England,  while  James  remained  in  charge 
of  the  office.  We  give  here  a  portion  of  a  letter,  as 
showing  the  trust  reposed  in  his  business  capacity,  and 
also  the  gentle  faithfulness  of  the  guardian  in  pruning 
the  faults  of  his  ward  : 

"  BOSTON,  June  30,  1828. 

"  DEAR  JAMES  :  Your  letter  of  the  18th  instant  reached  me  at  a  time 
when  I  was  becoming  anxious  lest  the  fever,  with  its  sequel  of  evils, 
had  overtaken  you.  And  should  this  at  any  time  be  the  case,  you  will 
procure  my  friend,  James  Gillespie,  to  write,  giving  me  timely  notice 
of  the  fact. 

"Your  letter  affords  me  subject  of  two- fold  remark.  First:  Its 
matter.  I  was  glad  to  hear  so  good  report  of  the  com  and  cotton  crop. 
From  the  appearance  of  the  weather  I  had  anticipated  the  news  about 
the  mills  ;  but  you  do  not  say  how  the  mill  hands  are  employed.  *  *  * 

I  have  written  M that  if  I  have  the  mortgage  he  called  for,  you 

will  get  it ;  and  I  think  you  will  find  it  in  the  Chesterfield  drawer,  per 
haps  enveloped  in  other  papers.  I  could  not  have  given  it  him  fit  the 
time  I  gave  him  the  other  release,  because  I  gave  him  that  in1  Marl- 
borough,  where  I  had  not  the  mortgage.  I  do  not  know  that  my  ledger 


46  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

exhibits  all  the  proper  charges  against  L .     He  owes  me,  &c.      If 

he  writes  again,  state  these  facts, .  and  my  other  charges.  I  hope  Jip 
will  be  improved  by  my  return.  You  can  use  him  occasionally  ;  it  will 

assist  rather  than  injure  him.       *      *      *      Your  account  of  the 

business  was  very  satisfactory.  It  put  H.'s  friend  in  an  unenviable 
point  of  view.  It  shows,  too,  how  cautious  we  should  be  in  indulging 
too  great  freedom  in  our  remarks,  even  when  we  think  ourselves  safe 
from  exposure  or  misinterpretation.  *  *  *  I  was  happy  to  learn  that 
you  were  content  in  your  present  situatio'n ;  but  as  soon  as  you  are 
otherwise,  you  can  change  it.  I  should  have  no  objection  to  your  at 
tending  the  festival  on  the  4th ;  but  this  letter  will  meet  you  too  late  to 
l/e  governed  by  what  I  have  to  say.  There  has  no  production  appeared 
from  Webster  or  Everett.  I  send  you  regularly  the  National  Gazette, 
which  you  will  keep  on  file  for  me.  I  was  well  pleased  with  your  plan 
of  a  register  or  diary,  and  I  hope  you  will  keep  it  regularly.  I  went  to 
Cambridge  to-day,  and  saw  a  young  cousin,  who  holds  a  pre-eminent 
rank  in  his  class,  and  could  not  help  thinking,  at  the  time,  how  much 
pleased  you  would  have  been  to  be  in  his  company.  I  was  much  sur 
prised  to  find,  or  rather,  not  to  find,  a  copy  of  the  Southern  Review  in 
Boston  ;  and  but  one  or  two  gentlemen  have  received  it  at  all.  The  book 
in  greatest  demand,  just  now,  appears  to  be  Irving's  *  Life  of  Colum 
bus  ' ;  and  I  mean  to  bring  it  out  with  me. 

"  I  have  neither  time  nor  space  to  notice  particularly  the  second  ground 
of  remark  suggested  by  your  letter.  But  were  I  called  on  to  point  out 
the  chief  fault  in  the  writing,  I  should  say,  it  is  the  same  I  have  so  often 
mentioned  to  you :  a  propensity  to  invest  common  and  occasional  re 
marks  in  too  grave  and  sober  a  dress.  An  idea  of  subordinate  im 
portance  is  not  to  be  enveloped  in  the  grave  and  solemn  measure  of  a 
great  moral  axiom.  It  is  to  assign  it  a  dignity  which  is  not  its  own  ;  and 
not  only  so,  but  it  affords  occasion  for  the  common  taunt,  "Monies  par- 
turiunt,"  &c.  Though,  on  the  whole,  this  perhaps  is  an  error  which 
time,  and  increased  observation  and  experience,  will  correct. 

"  'Take  care  of  yourself,'  referred  to  your  own  health,  of  which  you 
cannot  be  too  careful.  Most  sincerely  yours, 

W.  H.  E. 

The  succession  of  dates  brings  us  now  to  a  relation, 
which  may  cause  the  reader  to  lay  down  the  book  and 
think  awhile  before  he  proceeds  further.  The  education 
of  Thornwell,  we  have  said,  was  undertaken  at  first  with 
no  definite  purpose.  The  plan  seemed  to  have  been  to 
give  him  all  the  knowledge  that  could  be  acquired  in  the 
academy,  and  then  to  put  him  to  the  study  of  the  Law,  in 
the  office  of  Mr.  Bobbins.  James  happened  to  overhear 
a  conversation  in  which  this  purpose  was  stated.  The 


PREPARATION  FOR  COLLEGE.  47 

next  evening  he  was  missing  at  tea;  but  his  absence  was 
explained  in  the  following  letter,  which  Mr.  Bobbins 
found  under  his  plate: 

"  CHEEAW,  January,  1829. 

"Mr  DEAR  SIB  :  I  have  adopted  this  method  of  discharging  a  duty, 
which  I  consider  due  to  you  in  common  with  nay  other  patrons ;  as  I 
am  incapable  of  speaking  to  you  on  the  delicate  subject  without  tears. 

"The  relation  which  has  hitherto  subsisted  between  us  is  now  to  be 
dissolved.  I  would  to  God  that  this  trying  scene  could  have  been 
averted.  I  would  to  God  that  this  bitter  cup  could  have  passed  from 
me.  But  His  will  be  done.  Though  your  regard  for  me  should  vanish 
like  smoke,  and  though  you  should  hereafter  treat  me  with  the  utmost 
contempt  and  disdain,  yet  will  I  ever  love  even  the  very  earth  on  which 
you  tread. 

"  It  is  no  trivial  cause  that  could  induce  me  to  part  from  one  so  dear 
to  me.  Nothing  short  of  a  deep  sense  of  duty  could  ever  have  led  me 
to  this,  especially  as  you  have  been  at  so  much  trouble  and  expense  on 
my  account.  I  have  laboured  hard,  but  in  vain,  to  reconcile  my  con 
science  to  the  practice  of  the  Law.  In  selecting  a  profession,  it  is  cer 
tainly  the  duty  of  every  person  to  act  upon  other  than  selfish  motives. 
He  should  ever  have  in  view  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  men. 
Now,  the  only  method,  it  must  be  admitted,  for  him  to  determine  the 
sphere  of  action  in  which  he  will  most  contribute  to  these  ends  is  by 
scrutiny  into  the  inclination  of  his  particular  genius.  Now,  the  greatest 
difficulty  consists  in  discovering  the  peculiar  turn  of  his  mind.  What 
criterion  will  you  fix  for  this  purpose  ?  Though  consultation  with  his* 
friends  may  be  of  considerable  service,  yet  you  will  not  surely  contend 
that  he  must  make  their  advice  the  rule  of  his  conduct.  I  apprehend 
that  the  only  correct  standard  is  his  own  feelings.  He  must  not,  how 
ever,  forget  to  look  up  to  that  Being  for  direction,  to  whom  he  must 
finally  render  an  account  for  his  conduct  here. 

"  In  conformity  to  these  views,  which  appear  to  me  correct,  I  have 
determined  to  adopt  theology  as  my  profession.  The  prospect  for  an 
education  is  as  brilliant,  I  believe,  as  though  I  were  the  son  of  a  gen 
tleman  in  possession  of  millions.  There  is  none,  however,  for  wealth, 
as  it  is  impossible  to  serve  God  and  mammon  at  the  same  time.  It  is 
my  hard  destiny  to  be  placed  in  a  situation  where  I  must  determine  for 
life  at  a  very  early  age.  I  cannot  dogmatically  assert  that  these  views  will 
follow  me  to  the  grave.  But  I  feel  it  a  duty  to  act  in  accordance  with 
them  now.  It  is  rational,  however,  to  believe  that  they  will  continue  by 
me.  I  entertained  them  once  before,  discarded  them,  and  have  resumed 
them.  I  cannot  well  say  discarded  them  ;  for  I  smothered  them,  or  rather 
the  conclusion  to  which  they  led  me,  with  the  hope  that  farther  mental 
improvement  would  reconcile  me  to  the  Law.  As  they  have  come  upon  me 
again  with  increased  power,  I  feel  it  a  duty  to  reveal  them  to  you.  If 
you  ttr'nk  they  are  erroneous,  illustrate  their  error.  If  this  is  not  done, 


48  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOE.NWELL. 

I  am  compelled  to  bid  farewell,  with  great  heaviness  of  heart,  to  a  be 
loved  patron,  who  kindly  clothed  me  when  naked,  fed  me  when  hungry, 
and,  above  all,  has  much  laboured  to  dispel  ignorance  from  my  mind  ; 
a  beloved  patron,  whose  name  is  music  to  my  ear,  one  whom  I  can 
never  forget,  and  of  whom  I  will  ever  think  with  the  liveliest  emotions- 
of  gratitude ;  and  I  humbly  hope  he  will  never  forget  the  unworthy 
object  of  his  kindness.  I  do  humbly  hope  his  attachment  will  not 
abate,  if  I  have  acted  in  conformity  to  sound  rational  principles ;  and, 
if  under  the  impulse  of  enthusiasm,  I  hope  he  will  pity  my  weakness. 
On  the  word,  farewell,  my  heart"  lingers,  with  reluctance  to  leave  you  : 
and,  oh !  to  think  of  parting  pricks  it  to  the  core.  But  it  must  be  ; 
so  farewell,  my  dear  friend  and  respected  patron. 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

This  remarkable  epistle  was  read  with  deep  amazement. 
Rising  instantly  from  the  table,  Mr.  Bobbins  found  his 
ward  on  the  piazza,  in  the  dark,  half  hidden  in  the  angle 
of  the  chimney,  weeping  as  though  his  heart  would  break. 
Taking  his  hand,  he  led  him  gently  back  to  the  supper 
table,  and  there  assured  him  that  he  was  labouring  under 
a  total,  misapprehension  of  his  views.  It  had  indeed  been 
taken  for  granted  that  the  profession  of  the  Law  would  be 
his  choice,  both  because  it  gave  full  scope  to  his  talents, 
and  promised  promotion  in  the  future.  At  the  same  time, 
nothing  was  further  from  the  hearts  of  those  who  had  be 
friended  him,  than  to  force  his  inclination  in  any  degree. 
He  should  be  perfectly  free  hereafter  to  choose  any  pro 
fession  which  taste,  or  prudence,  or  conscience  might  sug 
gest  ;  and  that  he  would  enter  upon  its  pursuits  with  their 
good  will  and  blessing ;  but  that,  for  the  present,  he  must 
lay  aside  all  morbid  feelings,  and  continue  to  live  with 
him  as  his  younger  brother.  The  old  relations  were  ac 
cordingly  resumed,  with  a  better  understanding  between 
the  two,  and  with  increased  respect  and  aifection. 

The  delicate  sense  of  honour,  which  would  no  longer 
accept  support  from  those  whose  wishes  he  expected  to 
thwart,  lies  so  obtrusively  upon  the  face  of  the  narrative, 
that  there  is  no  necessity  for  emphasizing  it.  But  under 
neath  it  lies  a  mystery  w^hich  is  not  easy  of  solution. 
Here  is  a  youth  just  beyond  his  sixteenth  birth-day,  who 


PREPARATION  FOR  COLLEGE.  49 

lias  passed  through  a  protracted  mental  conflict,  and  set 
tled  down  into  the  conviction  that  he  must  preach  the 
gospel.  All  the  influences  which  bore  upon  him  were 
adverse  to  such  a  conclusion.  Both  his  patrons  were,  at 
this  period,  men  of  the  world.  The  profession  of  the  Law, 
which  he  declines,  pressed  itself  upon  his  acceptance  by 
every  motive  to  which  an  honourable  ambition  could 
respond.  And  what  seals  the  mystery,  this  decision  is 
pronounced  by  one  who,  as  yet,  makes  no  pretensions  to 
personal  piety,  has  given  hitherto  no  evidence  of  a  change 
of  heart,  and  who  did  not  profess,  till  several'  years  later, 
to  have  become  the  subject  of  grace.  Upon  what  principle, 
then,  did  this  decision  turn  ?  Did  he  regard  the  sacred 
ministry  as  a  profession  to  be  chosen,  like  any  other, 
because  it  was  adapted  to  one's  tastes  or  mental  apti 
tudes  ?  Men  do  not  ordinarily  make  costly  and  painful 
sacrifices,  except  upon  the  altar  of  duty.  Scarcely  for  any 
thing  less  than  this  would  he  have  surrendered  advantages 
and  severed  ties  which  were  as  dear  to  him  almost  as  life. 
His  letter,  too,  is  pervaded  with  just  such  a  conviction  of 
duty  lying  hard  upon  the  conscience  ;  and  though  it  does 
not  express  the  high  and  spiritual  views  of  the  ministerial 
office  which  he  subsequently  embraced,  there  is  a  general 
religious  tone,  which  it  is  hard  to  explain  from  one  not  in 
a  state  of  grace.  The  case  is  fruitful  of  speculation,  which 
it  might  not  be  perfectly  safe  to  indulge.  This  much 
seems  to  be  clear.  He  was  from  the  beginning  "  a  chosen 
vessel  of  the  Lord,  to  bear  His  name  before  the  Gentiles 
and  kings,  and  the  children  of  Israel;"  and  to  this  end, 
religious  truth  was  made  to  possess  for  him  a  singular 
fascination.  Its  earliest  indication  was  that  polemic  zeal 
which  led  him  with  boyish  disputatiousness  to 

"Assert  eternal  Providence, 
And  justify  the  ways  of  God  to  men." 

Now  it  assumes  the  form  of  a  conviction  of  duty,  which 
throws  over  him  the  power  of  a  spell.  It  is  true,  this 
interest  in  Christianity  appears  to  be  thus  far  rather  intel- 


50  LIFE  OF  JAMES   HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

lectual  than  experimental;  but  it  has  enlisted  the  con 
science,  and  it  holds  him  to  what  we  know  to  have  been 
the  ultimate  purpose  of  God,  amidst  temptations  that 
threatened  to  swerve  him  from  it.  We  shall  find  more  of 
this  hereafter,  making  his  religious  history  something  of 
a  puzzle  up  to  a  certain  date,  when  the  mist  is  cleared 
away,  and  the  Gospel  is  as  fully  embraced  by  the  heart  as 
by  the  understanding. 

During  the  summer  of  1829,  Mr.  Bobbins  again  visited 
New  England.  We  give  extracts  from  several  of  James's 
letters,  written  then,  in  order  that  the  reader  may  form 
his  own  judgment  as  to  the  development  of  his  mind,  as 
well  as  see  the  affectionate  relations  he  sustained  with  his 
patron.  In  the  first,  of  date  June  30th,  1829,  after  dis 
patching  certain  topics  of  business,  he  speaks  of  a  duel 
which  had  well-nigh  taken  place,  in  the  following  terms  : 

"Is  it  not  to  be  lamented  that  a  squeamish  sense  of  false  honour  is 
so  prevalent  ?  It  is  contrary  to  human  dignity,  which  it  should  be  our 
pride  to  support.  Every  character  has  motives  of  the  strongest  obli 
gation  to  support  it.  The  parent  should  consider  the  interest  of  his 
child  ;  the  patriot,  the  welfare  of  his  country ;  and  the  philanthropist, 
the  good  of  mankind." 

He  then  proceeds: 

"  You  ask  where  I  betook  myself  on  the  morning  of  your  departure. 
I  attended  you  to  the  post-office,  and  stood  by  you  until  you  were  about 
to  enter  the  stage.  My  feelings  were  such  that  it  was  impossible  for 
me  to  shake  hands  with  you ;  and  as  I  should  have  been  an  object  of 
derision,  had  I  broken  forth  there  into  childish  lamentations,  I 
thought  it  more  prudent  to  vent  my  feelings  in  private  retirement.  I 
wish  that  I  could  obtain  a  proper  control  of  myself  on  such  occasions. 
If  I  grieve  at  a  temporary  parting,  what  would  be  my  feelings  at  a  last 
ing  separation  ?  ' 

"I  have  heard  of  no  sickness  since  your  departure.  For  myself, 
during  the  last  week,  I  was  on  the  very  brink  of  the  fever.  As  soon  as 
I  felt  the  symptoms  of  disease,  I  submitted  myself  to  the  direction 
of  prudence.  With  salts  for  my  spear,  and  moderation  of  diet  for  my 
buckler,  I  have  rushed  to  the  combat,  and  driven  the  fever  from  the  field. 
But  so  far  from  being  led  into  hopes  of  vain  security  by  my  victory,  I 
guard  mys^f  with  more  care  against  his  wily  attacks. 

J.  H.  T." 


PREPARATION  FOR  COLLEGE.  51 

The  letter  which  follows  discovers  his  early  tendency 
to  moral  speculations,  though  the  generalization  marks 
the  first  awkward  effort  of  an  immature  mind  to  use  its 
powers.  It  is  given  just  as  it  was  written : 

"CHEKAW,  August  13th,  1829. 

"Discontent,  how  much  soever  it  may  be  denounced  by  monks  and 
priests,  is  not  criminal.  To  possess  a  mind  which  storms  of  fortune 
or  the  darkest  clouds  of  destiny  cannot  ruffle,  is  indeed  desirable.  Tran 
quillity  and  calmness  are  qualities,  however,  which  few  do  or  can  possess 
in  seasons  of  adversity.  The  philosopher  and  the  moralist  may  prescribe 
rules  for  the  attainment  of  these  virtues ;  but  the  uninstructed  peasant, 
and  even  they  themselves,  will  forget  them  in  the  hour  of  temptation. 
It  is  beyond  the  power  of  mankind  in  general  to  subject  their  feelings 
to  the  control  of  their  understandings.  These  turbulent  demagogues, 
like  the  ancient  barons  of  England,  will  not  submit  to  the  authority  of 
their  sovereign.  All  men  repine  at  what  affects  their  interest.  It  is  a 
principle  of  their  nature  which  they  cannot  subdue,  and  which  must, 
therefore,  have  been  planted  in  them  by  the  Deity.  These  reasons 
induce  me  to  believe  that  discontent  is  not  criminal.  But  there  are 
bounds  within  which  it  should  be  confined,  and  to  exceed  which  is 
not  justifiable.  In  these  remarks  I  would  by  no  means  depreciate  con 
tentment.  It  is  a  source,  and  unfailing  source,  of  happiness,  which  is 
worthy  of  our  highest  efforts.  It  is  a  precious  jewel,  which  too  often 
allures  men,  as  the  waters  Tantalus,  to  disappoint ;  and  no  man  can  say 
that  he  possesses  it  until  he  has  passed  safely  through  the  furnace  of 
temptation. 

"  These  reflections  were  suggested  to  me  by  the  marks  of  disappoint 
ment,  which  are  imprinted  on  every  countenance,  in  consequence  of 
the  late  inundation  of  their  crops.  None  appear  to  be  content ;  and 
McN.  has  converted  his  blythe  boasting  into  sighs.  He  has  Jost,  he 
says,  about  thirty  bales  of  cotton  and  half  of  his  corn.  He  will  still 
make  as  good  a  crop  as  he  did  last  year.  I  am  glad  that  you  will  sus 
tain  such  little  damage.  Though  it  is  enough  to  give  McN.  a  rueful 
countenance  ***** 

' '  I  am  diverted  at  this  moment  by  a  warm  discussion  of  a  question 
in  political  economy  between  Mr.  P.  and  Major  L.  The  ouestion  is, 
Can  the  value  of  gold  decrease  ?  P.  maintains  the  affirmative,  and  L. 
the  negative;  and  I  must  think  that,  though  Mr.  L.  is  shrewd  and 
subtle,  Mr,  P.  is  superior  to  him.  Mr.  L.  deals  too  much  in  general 
and  indefinite  terms.  Mr.  P.  is  more  precise  and  explicit.  In  the 
course  of  the  discussion,  L.  granted  that  an  abundance  of  money  de 
preciated  property.  P.  contended  that  the  money  was  depreciated,  and 
of  course  had  only  a  relative  value.  The  general  consent  of  the  world  has 
established  it  as  a  coin,  however,  not  on  account  of  any  superiority  to 
other  metals,  but  on  account  of  its  beauty  and  scarcity.  The  value  of 


52  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

gold,  then,  it  is  clear,  can  be  reduced  in  three  ways :  1.  The  general 
consent  of  mankind  may  be  changed,  and  another  metal  substituted  ;• 
2.  As  the  tastes  of  men  sometimes  fluctuate,  the  beauty  of  gold  may 
cease  to  fascinate  ;  3.  A  great  abundance  certainly  diminishes  its  value. 
Some  such  arguments  as  these  might  have  been  employed  against  Mr. 
L. ,  though  Mr.  P.  pursued  a  different  course.  I  was  surprised  to  hear 
Mr.  L.  argue  that  gold  had  an  inherent  value.  He  evinced  as  much 
ignorance  of  the  proper  meaning  of  words  as  the  persons  who,  after  a. 
warm  debate  on  transubstantiation,  referred  the  question  to  the  decision 
of  an  umpire.  Being  asked  what  they  meant  by  that  long  word,  one 
replied,  '  Kissing  the  saints ;'  the  other,  '  Kneeling  at  the  holy  altar.' 

"  The  colour  of  Jip  has  undergone  a  great  change  ;  he  is  a  chestnut 
now,  a  colour  of  which,  you  know,  Virgil  speaks  very  favourably.  I 
should  be  delighted  with  an  account  of  the  Cambridge  Commencement. 

JAMES/' 

In  another  letter,  written  in  the  same  month,  he  says: 

"  General  Gillespie  has  given  me  a  new  proof  of  his  kindness.  He  has 
resolved  to  send  me  to  college  this  year,  if  he  can  possibly  raise  the 
money.  I  do  sincerely  hope  that  he  may  be  able  to  accomplish  his  de 
sign.  I  am  preparing  to  go  to  Columbia  in  October  or  December." 

This  hint  will  appropriately  close  this  chapter,  leaving 
it  to  the  pages  which  are  to  follow  to  introduce  him  into- 
that  new  and  interesting  scene. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

COLLEGE  LIFE. 

FIRST  APPEARANCE  IN  COLLEGE. — PERSONAL  DESCRIPTION. — REJECTED 
ON  FIRST  APPLICATION. — RECEIVED  ON  THE  SECOND. — His  OWN  AC 
COUNT  OF  IT. — EARLY  IMPRESSION  OF  HIS  GENIUS  UPON  HIS  FELLOW- 
STUDENTS. — FACULTY  OF  THE  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE. — INTENSE 
APPLICATION. — RANGE  OF  HIS  .STUDIES. — SELF-DISCIPLINE. — SECLU 
SION  OF  THE  STUDENT. — His  EARLY  REPUTATION  AS  A  DEBATER. — 
POWERS  OF  INVECTIVE. — CORRESPONDENCE. 

EAELY  in  December,  1829,  within  a  few  days  of  his 
seventeenth  birthday,  James  Thornwell  made  his  first 
appearance  in  the  campus  of  the  South  Carolina  College,  at 
Columbia,  the  capital  of  the  State.  Stunted  in  his  growth, 
and  with  the  sallow  complexion  which  has  been  already 
described,  his  figure  was  just  the  kind  to  excite  college 
witticism  and  mirth.  The  following  description,  from  the 
pen  of  a  class-mate,  after  the  lapse  of  forty  years,  may 
have  a  slight  colouring  from  the  humour  with  which  it  is 
conveyed ;  but  undoubtedly,  in  the  main,  correct :  "  In 
personal  appearance  he  was,  perhaps,  the  most  unpromis 
ing  specimen  of  humanity  that  ever  entered  such  an  in 
stitution.  Very  short  in  stature,  shorter  by  a  head  than 
he  became  later  in  life,  very  lean  in  flesh,  with  a  skin  the 
colour  of  old  parchment,  his  hands  and  face  as  thickly 
studded  with  black  freckles  as  the  Milky  Way  with  stars, 
and  an  eye  rendered  dull  in  repose  by  a  drooping  lid,  he 
looked,  to  use  an  Irishism,  as  he  if  he  was  twenty  years 
old  when  he  was  born.  His  manners  were  unpolished, 
but  his  air  was  self-reliant;  and  though  free  from  boast 
ing,  lie  was  evidently  conscious  of  the  mental  power  within 
him,  which  would  make  him  more  than  a  match  for  most 
men,  and  would  throw  into  the  shade  his  physical  defects." 

53 


54:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

Such  is  the  youth  when  first  seen  striding  over  the  cam 
pus,  arm  in  arm  with  a  friend  six  feet  high,  as  if  bur 
lesquing  his  own  littleness  by  the  contrast ;  with  a  long 
coat  dangling  at  his  heels,  rolling  a  huge  quid  of  tobacco 
in  his  mouth,  and  declaring  that  he  would  enter  the  Junior 
class  or  none ;  sportively  adding  that,  if  rejected,  he 
would  go  up  into  the  town,  and  apply  for  admission  to 
the  practice  of  the  law.  But 

"  The  best  laid  schemes  of  mice  and  men 
Gang  aft  agley ;" 

and  this  self-appreciation,  half  serious,  half  playful,  was 
doomed  to  experience  a  sudden  but  salutary  check. 

The  class  which  he  desired  to  enter,  was  the  class  just 
rising  Junior.  Applications  were  not  frequent  for  ad 
mission  to  this  high  grade,  and  the  examinations  were 
correspondingly  rigorous.  Our  young  friend  was  pro 
nounced  deficient  in  certain  studies,  particularly  mathe 
matics,'  and  was  rejected,  with  the  privilege,  however,  of 
another  trial  at  the  opening  of  the  new  year.  The  defi 
ciency  was  more  apparent  than  real;  and  the  unexpected 
failure  was  anxiously  explained  by  those  who  knew  his 
attainments.  One  says,  "the  examination  in  geometry 
was  conducted  in  a  manner  unusual  to  him.  In  those  de 
monstrations  which  did  not  require  a  good  deal  of  figur 
ing,  it  was  the  practice  to  use  no  letters,  but  merely  to 
indicate  the  side  or  angle  by  touching  it ;  and  being  un 
accustomed  to  this  method,  he  became  confused."  In  his 
own  statement  we  have  no  such  apology,  as  will  appear 
from  the  following  letters  to  his  friend,  Mr.  Bobbins : 

"COLUMBIA,  December  5,  1829. 

"MY  DEAB  SIB:  I  applied  for  admission  into  the  Junior  Class  this 
morning,  and  was  rejected.  On  Graeca  Minora,  Xenophon,  the  Odes  of 
Horace,  and  Cicero,  I  was  admitted,  and  on  part  of  Mathematics.  Homer, 
and  the  Art  of  Poetry,  I  was  rejected  on.  They  say,  however,  that  if  I 
will  stand  another  examination  on  these,  about  the  first  of  January, 
they  will  admit  me.  I  think  it  advisable  to  do  so,  in  preference  to  join 
ing  Sophomore.  If  I  feel  myself  prepared,  I  may  stand  earlier.  The 


COLLEGE    LIFE.  55 

difficulty  with  me,  on  these  books,  was  not  ignorance,  but  confusion.  I 
was  panic-struck  as  soon  as  I  entered  the  librarj'-room.  The  Fftoutty 
perceived  it.  With  my  examination  in  Geography,  English  grammar, 
and  Minora,  Dr.  Cooper  appeared  to  be  well  pleased  ;  and  had  he  con 
tinued  by  me,  I  should  have  been  successful  throughout.  Whenever  he 
found  that  I  was  embarrassed,  he  would  relieve  me.  The  rest  were  not 
so  accommodating.  They  are  extremely  rigid  in  their  pronunciation  ; 
on  that,  however,  they  did  not  find  fault  with  me.  The  truth  is  simply 
this,  that  when  they  placed  Homer  in  my  hands,  I  was  in  such  perturba 
tion  that  I  could  scarcely  see  the  letters.  As  soon  as  I  recovered  myself, 
I  read  with  ease.  I  recollect  to  have  missed  only  two  words.  On  Alge 
bra,  as  far  as  they  examined  me,  I  stood  very  well.  They  required  one 
more  rule  than  I  had  studied ;  that  I  must  learn.  In  Mathematics,  or 
at  least  in  Geometry,  where  I  thought  myself  safe.  I  failed.  At  Mr.  Gra 
ham's  examination,  General  Gillespie  can  testify  that  I  was  not  deficient 
in  it.  How  it  happened  that  I  proved  so  before  the  Faculty,  I  cannot 
account.  I  cannot  describe  my  feelings  to  you.  I  am  overwhelmed  with 
confusion,  and  ashamed  to  show  my  face.  I  shall  keep  myself  as  much 
secluded  as  possible,  until  I  redeem  my  reputation.  The  three  weeks 
which  I  must  wait  will  roll  heavily  on.  I  shall  apply  myself  with  assid 
uity  and  attention. 

"  The  students  tell  me  that  it  has  become  a  custom  for  the  Faculty  to 
reject  on  the  first  examination,  and  grant  a  second.  They  tell  me  there 
is  not  the  least  disgrace  in  it.  It  is  almost  a  matter  of  chance  whether 
they  admit  or  not. — Yours  most  gratefully, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

Fourteen  days  later,  another  letter  was  written  to  the 
same  party,  on  the  same  subject. 

"COLUMBIA,  December  19,  1829. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  I  have  revised  my  studies  under  Mr.  McAllily, 
who  was  recommended  to  me  by  Professor  Nott.  I  shall  not  apply  for 
admission,  however,  until  the  first  of  January.  The  Faculty  will  more 
willingly  receive  me  then,  as  they  will  be  apt  to  judge  of  my  qualifica 
tions  from  the  time  I  have  studied.  I  can  keep  on  studying  mi  til  that 
time,  and  it  will  not  hurt  me.  *  *  *  There  'is  no  being  on  earth 
more  happy  than  the  student.  With  all  the  means  of  knowledge  at  his 
command,  what  can  give  him  more  pleasure  than  to  improve  his  mind  ? 
He  may  enjoy,  if  he  wishes,  a  continual  feast  of  nectar ;  and  his  satisfac 
tion  is  considerably  enhanced  when  he  is  esteemed  by  all  his  acquaint 
ances.  I  was  never  more  cordially  received  by  any  persons  than  by  my 
Pedee  friends  here.  They  all  appeared  very  glad  to  see  me.  I  found  in 
College  more  who  knew  me  than  I  had  any  idea  of.  Some  Pedee  men, 
who  had  heard  of  me,  took  the  very  excusable  liberty  of  introducing 
themselves,  and  tendering  their  friendly  services.  My  rejection  they 
viewed  as  a  matter  of  chance,  since  an  admission  depends  so  much  on 


56  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

luck.     The  result,  they  think,  might  h'ave  been  more  favorable,  had  I 
befn  examined  in  company,  and  not  alone,  as  was  the  case. 

"  Do  write  me  everything  about  home.  I  am  anxious  to  hear  from 
you  again,  and  from  General  Gillespie,  who  has  not  written  me  since  I 
came  here.  I  fear  he  is  displeased. — Yours  truly  and  gratefully, 

J.  H.  THOENWELL. 

"P.  S. — You  can  send  by  Mr.  Me —  —  my  other  vest,  my  shoes; 
and,  if  you  think  it  more  advisable  to  purchase  there  than  here,  you  can 
send  Locke's  'Essay.'  S.  G.  has  the  work  ;  if  you  see  him,  it  will  cost 
nothing." 

There  is  a  tone  of  manliness  pervading  both  these  let 
ters,  with  which  the  reader  cannot  fail  to  sympathize. 
Mortifying  as  the  discomfiture  was  to  a  proud  spirit  like 
his — a  spirit  too  untamed  by  even  successful  competition 
in  the  narrower  sphere  in  which  he  has  hitherto  moved — 
there  is  not  a  word  of  whining  complaint,  nor  boyish  re 
sentment  against  those  who  inflicted  the  disappointment. 
He  accepts  it  just  as  it  is,  with  a  clear  consciousness  that 
his  failure  was  due  to' an  excessive  timidity,  which  had, 
for  the  moment,  thrown  him  from  his  equipoise ;  and  with 
a  steady  purpose  to  retrieve  the  damage  which  his  repu 
tation  may  have  received.  This  prepares  the  way  for  the 
more  buoyant  style  of  the  letter  which  follows,  addressed 
also  to  Mr.  Robbins: 

"  COLUMBIA,  January  4,  1830. 

"  MY  DEAR  PATEON  :  I  have  now  taken  my  stand  in  the  Junior  Class  ; 
and  so  flattering  was  my  examination,  that  I  cannot  refrain  from  giving 
you  a  short  account  of  it.  I  was  required  to  stand  first  in  Homer,  in 
which  I  was  not  found  wanting.  I  was  then  taken  on  Horace,  De  Arte 
Poetica.  The  sentence  which  was  given  me  Professor  Henry  thought 
the  most  difficult  in  the  book,  and  said  that  I  read  it  admirably  well.  I 
was  then  taken  in  Button's  Mathematics,  in  which  I  demonstrated, 
without  the  least  difficulty,  about  twenty  theorems ;  and  lastly,  I  passed 
with  success  through  logarithms.  There  were  three  applicants  for  the 
class  besides  myself  ;  two  of  whom  were  admitted  ;  the  other  was  rejected 
for  the  third  time. 

' '  An  unlucky  circumstance  has  occasioned  me  some  uneasiness. 
Charges  greatly  derogatory  to  the  character  of  Mr. were  commu 
nicated  to  me  here,  of  which  I  immediately  apprised  S .  What  I 

wrote,  Mr.  has  by  some  means  learned ;  and  he  wrote  me,  re 
questing  the  author  of  that  report.  I  immediately  and  unhesitatingly 


COLLEGE    LIFE.  57 

Complied  ;  as  I  was  bound  by  no  ties  of  honour  not  to  divulge  its  author. 
I  should  regret  to  see  my  name  introduced  under  such  circumstanced. 
Mr.  G knows  the  whole  affair. 

All  the  Pedee  students  look  to  me  to  give  her  a  dignified  seat  in  College. 
While  such  hopes  are  indulged  of  me,  how  can  I  be  lax  in  my  exertions  ? 

"College  duties  not  having  commenced  until  to-day,  I  have  attended 
only  two  lectures.  Professor  Henry  does  honour  to  Metaphysics  and 
Moral  Philosophy.  Dr.  Wallace  is  perhaps  unequalled  in  Mathematics ; 
and  Professor  Nott  is  not  inferior  in  his  department.  We  have  a  splendid 
library,  consisting  of  eight  or  ten  thousand  volumes.  Indeed,  Columbia 
affords  every  facility  of  improvement. 

"I  found  great  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  room;  and  my  tavern  ex 
penses,  and  the  cost  of  furnishing  my  room,  have  reduced  my  purse  to 
a  low  ebb.  Seventy-five  dollars  will  defray  all  necessary  expenses  till 
June,  when  I  should  return.  Calculating  at  this  rate,  which  I  think 
just,  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  a  year  will  carry  me  through  College. 
Should  it  be  inconvenient  to  send  me  anything;  there  is  no  pressing 
need.  I  am  not  out  of  money,  but  have  not  enough  to  settle  all  my 
College  bills. 

"  Hereafter  I  shall  write  to  you  every  other  week,  and  to  the  General 
as  often.  Next  Sunday  I  shall  be  at  leisure  to  write  you  a  decent  letter. 
It  is  now  almost  ten  o'clock  P.  M.,  and  I  must  retire  to  bed,  as  I  must 
rise  by  day-break  in  the  morning,  and  hie  me  to  the  lecture  room. 

Yours  truly,  J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

This  letter  drew  forth  a  reply  so  just  in  its  views,  and 
so  wise  in  its  counsels,  that  we  shall  offer  no  apology  for 
its  introduction.  Indeed,  all  the  communications  of  this 
noble  man  deserve  to  be  incorporated  in  this  record  of  his 
ward,  whose  character  they  contributed  so  materially  to 
form,  as  well  as  for  the  dignity  and  weight  of  the  senti 
ments  with  which  they  abound. 

"CHERAW,  January  9,  1830. 

"  DEAR  JAMES  :  On  my  return  from  Marlborough  I  received  your  wel 
come  letter  of  last  Monday,  bringing  the  glad  tidings  of  your  admission 
to  the  standing  in  College  which  your  perseverance  and  good  con 
duct  have  merited  ;  and  I  lose  no  time  in  offering  you  my  cordial 
congratulations.  .  If  your  disappointment  shall  be  attended  with  no 
other  good,  you  should  feel  amply  recompensed  in  the  good  things  it 
has  called  from  your  instructors.  But  let  it  teach  you  that  disap 
pointment  and  mortification  attend  you  at  every  turn  in  the  path  of 
life  ;  that  to  be  prepared  for  them  is  the  part  of  wisdom  ;  and  to  endure 
them  with  manly  fortitude,  is  the  way  to  overcome  them.  And  let  it 
teach  you,  too,  that,  when  so  encountered,  they  never  fail  to  bring  pro 
portionate  good  in  their  train.  I  cannot  permit  myself  to  doubt  but 


58  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

your  future  exertions  will  be  commensurate  with  the  expectations  of 
your  friends.  Your  assiduity  in  the  cause  of  learning  gives  me  assurance- 
that  every  advantage  you  now  enjoy  will  be  eagerly,  and  of  course  suc 
cessfully,  improved.  But  let  me  caution  you  not  to  suffer  your  am 
bition  to  be  bounded  by  the  narrow  circle  of  College  honours.  To  have- 
achieved  all  that  the  officers  of  College  can  bestow,  is  distinction  dearly 
bought,  if,  in  the  pursuit,  you  have  lost  one  iota  of  that  purity  of  char 
acter  and  singleness  of  purpose  with  which  you  commence  it  ;  if  you 
shall  suffer  a  conscious  superiority  to  render  you  uncourteous  to  an 
inferior,  or  indulge  one  envious  reflection  at  the  superiority  of  a  rival. 
The  field  of  mental  exertion  is  wide  enough  for  all  who  enter  it ;  there 
is  no  need  of  jostling  for  a  place  there.  The  rewards  it  holds  out  are 
liberal  and  noble.  In  their  achievement  by  others  we  should  see  the 
glory  of  the  struggle ;  and  if  fairly  and  honourably  won,  the  head  that 
wears  will  not  disgrace  them.  To  foster  these  sentiments — to  think, 
to  feel,  and  act,  in  accordance  with  them — is  to  gain  a  conquest  more 
important  and  more  valuable  than  all  the  little  distinctions  which  men 
can  confer  upon  us.  Don't  think  that  I  make  these  remarks  because 
I  think  you  more  liable  to  err  in  this  way  than  other  young  men.  1 
know  you  are  not  more  so  :  I  hope  not  so  much  so.  I  give  them  that 
you  may  fix  them  as  a  pole-star  in  your  march  through  life,  and  square 
all  your  conduct  by  them.  » 

' '  I  was  very  sorry  to  hear  that  you  should  have  been  implicated  in  an 
affair  like  that  you  mentioned.  You  did  right  in  surrendering  the 

author;   but  S did  great  wrong  in  suffering  the  affair  to  escape 

him.  But  did  you  not  err,  first  of  all,  in  communicating  the  affair  at 
all  ?  'Tis  best  to  leave  these  little  slanders  to  the  peculiar  keeping  of 
those  who  have  no  other  business  or  amusement  but  to  search  for  and 
propagate  them.  They  are  unworthy  the  notice  of  a  wise  man.  We 
should  regard  them  in  sovereign  contempt  ;  and  deem  ourselves  some 
what  tainted  in  suffering  ourselves  to  think  on  them,  much  more  so  to 
speak  of  them  ;  but  to  write  them  is  yet  the  more  imprudent,  indiscreet. 
I  have  heard  it  publicly  said  in  the  streets  here,  that  you  had  written 
this  story  from  Columbia.  I  was  sorry  to  hear  it ;  but  as  you  had 
written  it,  you  could  have  done  no  less  than  what  you  did.  But,  for  the 
future,  I  hope  you  will  feel  that  to  descant  on  such  subjects  is  to  dabble 
in  muddy  water.  You  have  nobler  objects  to  achieve  in  life  than  tha 
investigation  of  petty  tales,  be  they  true  or  false.  *  *  * 

' '  Enclosed  I  send  you  twenty-five  dollars ;  in  my  next  letter  I  will  send 
more.  I  don't  like  to  increase  the  bulk  of  letters ;  and  you  say  you  are 
not  out.  Your  calculation  is  too  small,  I  think.  Recollect  what  we  have 
told  you,  and  write  as  often  as  you  can,  consistently  with  other  duties  ;. 
and  write  fully  of  your  views,  and  successes  too. — Your  friend, 

W.  H.  BOBBINS." 

This  hitch  at  his  entrance  into  college  would  not  have 
prejudiced  his  scholarship  in  the  estimation  of  his  fellow- 


COLLEGE    LIFE.  59 

students,  who  looked  upon  it  very  much  as  a  question  of 
luck.  Probably  it  would  not  have  been  noticed  at  all,  but 
for  the  extraordinary  accounts  which  had  been  poured 
into  their  ears,  and  the  confident  predictions  which  had 
been  uttered  on  his  behalf.  It  had  been  announced  by  those 
who  knew  his  earlier  history,  that  "  a  little,  pale  boy  would 
come  on  soon,  and  bear  off  the  honours  of  his  class."  The 
mortification  of  these  admirers  at  his  rejection  was,  if 
possible,  greater  than  his  own;  for  they  were  obliged  to 
bear  the  penalty  in  the  laughter  which  this  apparent 
failure  of  their  champion  brought  upon  their  heads.  It 
was  not,  however,  of  long  duration.  We  quote  again 
from  the  same  witness  who  has  furnished  the  preceding 
description  of  his  person:  "The  class  which  he  entered 
was  a  remarkably  ambitious  one,  and  contained  among 
the  forty -three  young  men  who  composed  it  many  aspirants 
for  the  highest  honours  of  the  college ;  but  such  was  the 
intellectual  power  displayed  by  Thornwell,  that  he  had 
not  made  more  than  hall*  a  dozen  recitations  before  it  was 
conceded  on  all  hands  that  the  first  honour  must  be  his 
beyond  all  question.  This  mental  pre-eminence  was  ap 
parent,  not  only  in  the  class-room,  but  in  debates  in  the 
College  Society  to  which  he  belonged,  in  social  intercourse, 
and,  indeed,  wherever  there  was  mental  contact  with  others. 
There  was  about  his  mind,  however,  nothing  of  the  erratic 
or  impulsive  character  attributed  to  genius.  His  powerful 
intellect  worked  with  the  steadiness  of  machinery ;  and 
its  superiority  was  displayed  in  the  higher  reach  and  wider 
grasp  of  thought,  with  which  it  advanced,  without  check, 
to  the  attainment  of  its  end,  scarcely  pausing  at  obstacles 
which  would  have  .halted  others." 

In  the  faculty  of  the  South  Carolina  College,  as  at 
that  time  constituted,  there  were  at  least  four  gentlemen 
who  could  not  fail  to  impress  themselves  upon  such  a 
mind  as  here  described. 

Professor  JAMES  WALLACE  had  a  rare  genius  for  the 
Mathematical  chair,  which  he  filled;  and  always  im- 


60  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

pressed  liis  pupils  with  a  conviction  of  the  importance 
and  value  of  his  favourite  studies,  as  well  as  the  vast 
treasures  of  knowledge  which  remained  for  them  to  ex- 

o 

plore.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  his  unusual  attainments 
should  be  represented  only  in  one  work,  "  On  the  Globes," 
which,  with  a  few  fragmentary  disquisitions,  is  all  that 
he  has  left  behind  him. 

Professor  HENRY  JUNIUS  KOTT,  to  whom  was  assigned 
the  department  of  English  Literature,  was,  beyond  dis 
pute,  one  of  the  finest  Belles  Lettres  scholars  the  State 
has  ever  produced,  worthy  to  be  the  friend  and  peer  of 
the  gifted  Legare.  With  a  mind  enriched  by  study,  and 
enlarged  by  foreign  travel;  with  a  memory  capable  of 
reproducing  all  that  he  had  ever  observed  or  read ;  with 
"a  rich  humour  and  a  ready  wit,  which  few  could  turn 
to  better  account;"  with  a  style  that  is  "presented  as  a 
model  of  easy  elegance,  and  of  simple,  classic  beauty;" 
it  was  impossible  to  escape  the  fascination  which  the  bril 
liant  lecturer  threw  around  the  beautiful  studies  in  his 
department.  The  chivalry  of  his  character  was  mourn 
fully  illustrated  in  his  death,  upon  the  wreck  of  the  ill- 
fated  steamer  "Home,"  in  1837,  preferring  to  sink  in 
the  waters  of  the  Atlantic,  by  the  side  of  a  wife  whom 
he  was  too  generous  to  abandon. 

Dr.  THOMAS  COOPER,  the  President,  was,  however,  at 
this  time,  the  Coryphoeus  of  the  institution.  His  varied 
erudition,  his  trenchant  style,  his  enthusiasm  in  whatever 
he  espoused,  the  boldness  and  courage  with  which  he 
maintained  opinions  at  variance  with  the  popular  senti 
ment,*  even  the  restlessness  of  spirit  which  had  made  him 
an  agitator  through  the  whole  of  an  eventful  career, 
were  qualities  exceedingly  captivating  to  the  youth  under 
his  charge.  He  possessed  just  the  cleverness  and  the 
courage,  the  dash  and  the  dogmatism,  which  seem  to 
the  inexperienced  the  elements  of  the  heroic,  and  whose 
knowledge  was  not  sufficient  to  estimate  the  shallowness 
of  his  philosophy,  and  even  of  his  learning.  That  young 


COLLEGE    LIFE.  Gl 

Thornwell  fell  at  first  under  the  charm  of  his  influence, 
appears  from  an  incidental  reference  in  one  of  Mr.  Rob- 
bins's  letters,  where  he  speaks  of  Dr.  Cooper  as  "your 
idol."  It  is  equally  certain  that  this  spell  was  at  length 
broken.  It  could  not  be  otherwise.  The  antagonism  be 
tween  the  two  was  complete  in  the  structure  of  their  minds, 
and  in  the  direction  of  their  favourite  studies.  The  historian 
of  the  college  records  of  the  President,  that  "  his  genius  was 
eminently  practical — utilitarian.  He  looked  upon  man 
very  much  as  an  animal,  and  believed  that  the  framework 
of  society  was  designed  to  provide  for  his  physical  wants 
and  necessities.  As  in  man  he  saw  nothing  but  the  animal, 
so  in  the  objects  of  nature  he  saw  nothing  but  external  na 
ture.  Of  man  in  his  higher  nature,  as  a  being  of  immortal 
powers,  with  aspirations  reaching  into  a  never  ending 
futurity,  he  had  no  just  conception."  From  such  gross 
materialism,  a  mind  of  such  a  structure  as  that  of  young 
Thornwell  was  compelled  to  diverge,  as  soon  as  it  should 
address  itself  to  the  solution  of  these  questions  at  all; 
and  he  who  was  ravished  with  the  charms  of  philosophy 
could  have  no  permanent  sympathy  with  one  who  "held 
metaphysical  and  ethical  investigations  in  perfect  con 
tempt."  Of  his  fierce  opposition  to  revealed  religion  we 
shall  have  a  better  occasion  to  speak  hereafter. 

But  the  foremost  of  them  all,  in  the  breadth  and  perma 
nence  of  his  influence  over  our  friend,  was  Dr.  ROBERT 
HENRY,  who  filled,  with  singular  ability,  the  chair  of  Phil 
osophy.  He  was  a  profound  scholar,  critically  acquainted 
with  the  ancient  classics,  and  perfectly  familiar  with  tlw  Ger 
man,  Dutch,  Spanish,  and  French  languages.  In  the  studies 
of  his  peculiar  department  he  was  not  less  accomplished, 
having  "  explored  the  entire  circle  of  knowledge  and  specu 
lation,  and  made  the  rich  fruit  of  the  master  minds  who  had 
laboured  in  this  field  his  own."  Dr.  Thornwell,  in  later 
years,  always  acknowledged  his  great  indebtedness  to  the 
classical  taste  and  attainments  of  Dr.  Henry,  by  whom  lie 
was  both  stimulated  and  directed  in  the  acquisition  of 


62  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

classic  and  of  philosophic  lore.  After  his  death,  the 
pupil  paid  a  beautiful  tribute  to  the  memory  of  his  pre 
ceptor,  in  the  pages  of  the  Southern  Quarterly  Review. 
Such  were  the  men,  under  the  influence  of  -whose  genius 
he  found  himself  placed,  upon  his  entrance  into  College. 

The  possession  of  these  advantages  stimulated  his  zeal 
to  the  last  degree.  Coupling  the  assiduity  of  the  Ger 
man  with  the  fervour  of  the  American,  he  devoted  four 
teen  hours  a  day  to  severe  study.  Either  his  good  sense 
pierced  the  fallacy  which  supposes  that  genius  can  win 
permanent  success  without  learning  as  the  material  upon 
which,  or  the  instrument  by  which,  it  must  work;  or  else 
he  was  led  blindly  on  by  an  avaricious  love  of  knowledge, 
rendering  the  toil  with  which  it  is  gathered  itself  a  delight ; 
but  certain  it  is,  he  turned  away  with  the  severity  of  an 
anchorite  from  the  blandishments  of  society;  and,  like 
an  athlete  of  old,  with  continuous  and  cruel  rigor  trained 
every  muscle  and  every  limb  for  the  Olympic  race  and 
the  Olympic  prize  before  him  in  life.  During  his  College 
career,  he  omitted  no  opportunity  of  discipline,  neg 
lected  no  part  of  the  prescribed  curriculum,  wasted  no 
hour  in  dissipation' or  indolence;  but  with  elaborate  care 
prepared  himself  for  every  exercise.  In  the  Literary 
Society  of  which  he  was  a  member,  the  same  assiduity 
availed  itself  of  every  privilege.  Despising  the  baldness 
of  mere  extemporaneous  harangues,  he  armed  himself  for 
the  conflict  of  debate.  This  example,  with  its  attendant 
and  grand  results,  stands  up  in  scorching  rebuke  of  the 
egotism  and  folly  which  would  exalt  the  triumphs  of 
genius  by  disparaging  the  discipline  through  which  its 
energies  are  directed. 

His  investigations  were  pushed  beyond  the  text  books 
of  the  class  room.  They  were  almost  encyclopaedic  in 
their  range.  He  used  the  library  as  no  student  before 
him  had  ever  done,  and  knocked  the  dust  from  ancient 
tomes  never  disturbed  but  by  the  brush  of  the  librarian. 
He  studied  subjects  as  subjects,  especially  in  the  depart- 


COLLEGE    LIFE.  63 

ments  to  which  he  had  a  natural  proclivity;  and  never 
paused  till  he  had  sounded  to  the  bottom.  Evidence  of 
this  is  furnished  in  the  correspondence  of  this  period,  and 
still  more  in  the  facts  of  his  religious  history,  yet  to  be 
disclosed.  As  an  illustration  of  the  Herculean  labours  he 
would  undergo  to  accomplish  some  important  end,  the 
following  achievement  may  be  related;  which  falls,  par 
tially  at  least,  within  this  period  :  Being  asked  by  one  of 
his  Divinity  students  what  was  the  best  method  of  im 
proving  one's  style,  he  replied  :  "  Language  was  my  great 
difficulty  in  early  life.  I  had  no  natural  command  of 
words.  I  undertook  to  remedy  the  defect  by  committing 
to  memory  large  portions  of  the  New  Testament,  the 
Psalms,  and  much  of  the  Prophets ;  also  whole  dramas  of 
Shakspeare,  and  a  great  part  of  Milton's  '  Paradise 
Lost';  so  that  you  might  start  me  at  any  line  in  any 
drama  or  book,  and  I  would  go  through  to  the  end.  I 
regard  the  above  named  as  exhausting  the  powers  of  the 
English  language ;  and  he  who  masters  them,  knows  his 
native  tongue.  It  is  also  the  best  method  of  training  the 
memory."  In  confirmation  of  this,  the  writer  has  fre 
quently  heard  him,  when  in  a  recitative  mood,  repeat 
whole  pages  of  Milton  without  the  slightest  hesitation ; 
sometimes  an  entire  ode  of  Horace,  or  long  extracts  from 
Yirgil;  to  say  nothing  of  brilliant  passages  from  Robert 
Hall  and  Edmund  Burke:  all  the  fruits  of  this  early 
memorizing.  One  of  his  first  associates  testifies  that, 
before  going  to  College,  he  could  recite  entire  pages  of 
Dugald  Stewart;  showing  this  discipline  to  have  been 
begun  at  an  early  date.  This  explains,  too,  what  always 
seemed  so  wonderful  to  the  writer :  that  Dr.  Thorn  well 
was  able,  in  conversation,  to  repeat  long  passages  from 
such  rugged  writers  as  Jonathan  Edwards  and  John 
Owen,  without  the  necessity  of  recurring  to  the  works 
themselves  for  authority.  His  mind  had  acquired,  through 
the  severe  training  of  his  youth,  a  facility  in  taking  up 
and  retaining  the  words  as  well  as  the  thoughts  of  an 


64:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

author  whom  he  attentively  read.  Notwithstanding  his 
constant  depreciation  of  his  own  memor}r,  it  always  ap 
peared  to  us  the  most  marvellous  in  its  power  of  retention 
and  reproduction  that  we  ever  met. 

As  the  reader  may  surmise,  such  diligence  in  study  did 
not  comport  with  free  companionship.  He  was  not,  in 
deed,  averse  from.it;  for  he  was  constitutionally  genial 
and  sympathetic ;  and  whenever  he  chose  to  indulge  in  its 
relaxation,  his  manner  was  cheerful,  and  even  buoyant. 
Among  his  young  associates  he  indulged  freely  in  playful 
raillery  and  sarcasm;  in  which  there  was  not  a  trace  of 
bitterness,  for  he  was  incapable  of  malignity.  But  satire 
is  a  dangerous  weapon  with  which  to  sport;  and  to  one 
who  possesses  the  fatal  gift,  the  temptation  to  its  indis 
creet  use  is  often  too  strong  to  be  resisted.  In  later 
years,  Dr.  Thornwell  was  accustomed  to  acknowledge 
that  nothing  had  given  him  greater  trouble  than  this 
propensity  to  sarcasm.  It  gleams  forth  occasionally 
through  all  the  passages  of  his  history;  and  if  he  had 
chosen  to  indulge  it,  few  could  have  excelled  him  in  the 
power  of  invective.  How  sweetly  it  was  controlled,  and 
finally,  by  a  mellow  piety,  subdued,  can  be  appreciated 
only  by  those  who  knew  the  gentleness  of  his  last  years, 
when  ripening  for  his  translation.  But  at  the  period  of 
which  we  are  now  treating,  there  was  little  to  check  the 
indulgence  of  a  talent  which,  however  unamiable,  is 
always  an  instrument  of  commanding  power.  It  was 
especially  in  debate  that  this  fearful  talent  was  displayed. 
In  the  language  of  one  of  his  class-mates,  "His  words 
burned  like  fire ;  his  sarcasm  was  absolutely  withering." 
From  this  cause,  in  part,  he  was  not  what  is  called  a 
popular  student  in  College.  "He  was  admired  for  his 
transcendent  abilities,  but  not  loved."  This  was,  how 
ever,  still  more  due  to  his  habits  of  seclusion.  He  had 
something  more  important  to  achieve  than  to  court  either 
the  society  or  the  favour  of  those  about  him.  Indeed, 
throughout  life,  he  was  a  man  rather  to  be  sought,  than 


COLLEGE    LIFE.    .  65 

to  be  himself  a  seeker.  What  he  was  in  later  life,  he  was 
to  some  extent  in  College;  and  hence  he  never  com 
manded  that  shallow  popularity  which  is  acquired  only 
by  rubbing  one's  self  good  naturedly  against  every  man's 
shoulder. 

The  polemic  character  of  his  mind  fitted  him  to  shine 
in  the  debating  society,  which  always  forms  a  feature  of 
College  discipline.  He  revelled  in  the  gladiatorial  com 
bats  that  took  place.  Says  one  of  his  class-mates :  "  lie 
took  the  most  prominent  part  in  the  Literary  Society  of 
which  he  was  a  member,  and  received  all  the  honours  in 
its  gift.  His  eloquence  was  unequalled,  and  his  argu 
mentative  powers  the  most  amazing.  He  could  detect 
and  expose  a  fallacy  with  more  dispatch  and  completeness 
than  I  ever  witnessed  in  any  other  man.  The  honorary 
members  of  the  Society,  living  in  Columbia  and  vicinity, 
would  attend  these  discussions  in  large  numbers,  to  hear 
this  wonderful  man  pour  forth  torrents  of  eloquence,  and 
deal,  right  and  left,  death-blows  to  sophistry."  Another, 
in  the  class  below  him,  thus  writes:  "On  the -night  I 
joined  the  Society,  Thornwell  rose  to  make  a  speech. 
When  he  stood  up,  he  was  not  a  great  deal  higher  than 
the  tables.  He  stepped  into  the  passage  between  them ; 
and  I  remember  distinctly  my  reflection,  '  Well,  you  can 
not  say  much  till  you  will  have  to  sit  down.'  But,  to 
my  surprise,  without  any  trepidation  or  diffidence,  he 
spoke,  for  twenty  or  thirty  minutes,  in  a  strain  of  elo 
quence,  and  with  a  flow  of  language,  full  of  thought.  His 
peculiar  gesture  was  with  both  arms  opened,  and  raised 
above  his  head.  He  was  a  ready  speaker,  and  the  best 
debater  in  the  Society.  He  would  sometimes  indulge  in 
sarcasm,  and  was  severe  in  retort."  We  are  careful  to 
quote  exactly  from  these  memoranda  of  eye  and  ear  wit 
nesses,  to  escape  the  suspicion  of  writing  a  eulogy  under 
the  disguise  of  history.  The  criticism  will  be  disarmed 
by  remembering  that,  in  a  most  important  sense,  the 
orator,  as  well  as  the  poet,  is  born,  not  made.  Culture 
may  be  necessary  to  train  the  peculiar  faculties  of  both; 


66  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

but  the  original  creative  power,  which  is  their  common 
characteristic,  is  the  immediate  gift  of  God.  Germain  to 
this  is  the  following  letter,  addressed  to  his  patron,  Gen 
eral  Gillespie: 

"COLUMBIA,  January  24,  1830. 

"DEAR  SIR  :  There  is  scarcely  anything  going  on  here  which  is  worth 
communicating.  A  short  account  of  the  Society  may  not  be  uninter 
esting.  The  two  last  meetings  were  the  best  we  have  had  since  I  be 
came  a  member.  I  made  my  first  attempt,  concerning  '  The  justice  of 
punishing  the  Irish  rebels  of  1797  ;'  and  I  justified  that  measure  of  the 
English  cabinet  with  all  the  arguments  that  I  could  muster.  Last  night 
I  made  a  second  effort,  on  the  question,  '  Whether  it  is  probable  that 
the  nations  of  Europe  will  advance  further  in  refinement  than  they  have 
done. '  I  contended  that  they  would  not.  My  argument  was  this :  I 
first  proved,  by  induction,  that  it  was  a  law  of  nature  that  everything, 
after  having  reached  a  certain  point  of  elevation,  must  decline.  I  next 
showed  the  method  by  which  we  could  determine  when  anything  had 
reached  that  point ;  and  then  made  application  to  the  question.  The 
election  for  monthly  orator  came  off  last  night,  and  I  was  glad  to  find 
that  I  was  elected  by  an  almost  unanimous  vote.  There  is  one  difficulty 
attending  the  delivery  of  this  oration.  The  constitution  requires  that 
it  should  be  delivered  in  a  gown.  Now,  the  Society's  gown  is  large 
enough  for  a  man  of  six  feet,  and  I  would  be  a  ridiculous  figure  in  it. 
Some  method  must  be  contrived  to  obviate  this  difficulty. 

' '  i  am  now  reading  Swift's  Works  and  Hume's  Essays.  I  have  finished 
Berkeley.  Swift's  '  Tale  of  a  Tub'  is  a  masterly  specimen  of  sarcastic 
wit ;  it  will  distort  the  gravest  muscles.  Hume's  Essays,  which  are  a 
compendium  of  his  treatise  on  Human  Nature,  I  read  immediately  after 
Berkeley ;  because  I  wish  to  follow  out  the  train  of  reasoning  by  which 
matter  and  spirit  are  proved  to  be  nonentities.  And  it  is  ingenious 
enough,  although  it  depends  entirely  on  a  hypothesis,  which  philos 
ophers  have  assumed  without  the  slightest  evidence,  viz  ,  that  the  mind 
does  not  perceive  anything  but  its  own  ideas.  From  this  assumption 
the  most  absured  consequences  have  been  rigorously  deduced.  Mattel 
and  spirit  are  shown  to  be  delusions.  Nothing,  says  Hume,  exists  but 
ideas  and  impressions.  There  is  no  mind  on  which  they  may  be  im 
pressed.  It  is  remarkable  that  men  of  such  sagacity  and  penetration 
as  Berkeley  and  Hume  should  have  taken  for  granted  a  principle  from 
which  such  ridiculous  consequences  flowed.  The  absurdity  of  the  con 
clusion  should  have  led  them  to  suspect  their  premises.  Indeed,  Berke 
ley  undertakes  to  prove  that  his  whimsical  notion,  concerning  the  non- 
existence  of  matter,  coincides  with  the  general  sentiments  of  mankind ; 
and  that  the  belief  of  the  existence  of  matter  was  the  oddest  of  the  two. 
Hume,  however,  has  the  frankness  to  confess  that  his  opinions  contra 
dict  the  common  sense  of  men.  It  is  amusing  to  observe  into  what  a 
labyrinth  of  perplexities  men  may  involve  themselves. 
Yours,  affectionately, 

J.  H.  THORNWKLL." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

COLLEGE  LIFE  CONTINUED. 

CORRESPONDENCE  WITH  His  PATRONS. — ADMIRABLE  LETTERS  OF  MR. 
BOBBINS  IN  REPLY. — CONSCIENTIOUSNESS  IN  THE  USE  OP  MONEY.— 
CENSURED  FOR  PARSIMONY  BY  MR.  BOBBINS. — His  DEFENCE. — His 
MORAL  CHARACTER  IN  COLLEGE. — TESTIMONIES  OF  HIS  CLASS-MATES.— 
RELIGIOUS  INVESTIGATIONS. — EXAMPLE  OF  INTEGRITY. — GRADUATION 
AND  DISTINCTIONS. 

IN   the   following   correspondence   the   letters  explain 
themselves,  from   the    close   relation   in   which  they 
stand : 

"DEAR  JAMES:  Enclosed  is  eighty  dollars,  which  I  wish  you  to  ac 
knowledge  the  receipt  of  immediately.  Our  Court  of  Equity  sits  on 
Monday,  and  I  am  too  much  occupied  to  write  more  at  present.  Use 
no  delicacy,  James,  in  asking  for  money.  If  this  shall  not  be  .enough 
for  you,  remember  there  is  more  where  it  came  from. 

Your  friend  ever,  W.  H.  ROBBINS." 

"COLUMBIA,  February  12,  1830. 

"MY  DEAR  SIR:  I  have  just  received  your  letter  covering  eighty 
dollars,  for  which  you  have  my  warmest  gratitude.  The  alacrity  and 
cheerfulness  with  which  you  grant  my  requests  render  it  extremely  un 
pleasant  for  me  to  ask  anything  from  you.  And  it  is  more  unpleasant, 
since  the  only  recompense  which  I  am  capable  of  rendering  you  is  to  be 
serviceable  to  myself.  Common  gratitude,  did  no  other  motive  enter,  would 
require  me  to  prove  not  unworthy  of  the  confidence  which  you  have  re 
posed  in  me.  Dignified  deportment  and  close  application,  combined 
with  a  proper  selection  of  associates,  are  the  least  things  you  can  require. 
Indeed,  so  far  as  regards  associates,  I  am  perhaps  too  fastidious.  There 
are  seven  in  one  hundred  and  twenty  with  whom  I  sometimes  associate ; 
but  only  one  who  is  in  any  wise  an  intimate.  *  *  * 

"  The  last  number  of  the  Southern  Review  is,  in  my  opinion,  a  failure. 
The  review  of  Stuart's  Hebrew  Grammar  is  written  by  Mr.  Michallo- 
witz,  the  Professor  of  Oriental  Languages  in  this  College.  If  that  work 
is  intended  to  be  read,  it  should  surely  lay  aside  its  pompous  parade  of 
learning.  This  number,  or  at  least  the  article  on  the  Hebrew  Grammar, 
and  that  on  Higgins's  Celtic  Druids,  are  fit  for  nothing  but  show.  A  few 

67 


68  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

privileged  characters  may  be  let  into  their  mysteries  ;  but  of  what  bene 
fit  are  they  to  the  mass  of  the  people  ? 

"  The*  review  of  Hoffman's  Legal  Outlines,  in  the  last  number  of  the 
North  American,  is  calculated  to  add  to  the  merited  celebrity  which 
that  journal  has  obtained.  I  think  it  superior  to  the  article  which  ap 
peared  in  the  Southern.  By  this  journal  it  was  termed  a  misnomer ; 
the  North  American  has  shown  it  to  be  otherwise.  The  article  in  the 
Southern  Review,  headed  'Louis  Courier,'  is  written  by  Prof  essor  Nott. 
I  have  not  read  it  yet. 

"A  letter,  giving  me  a  full  account  of  things  at  home,  would  be  like 
cold  water  to  a  thirsty  soul ;  for  I  am  homesick.  It  is  some  consolation 
that  I  shall  see  you  in  May.  Yours  affectionately, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

"  COLUMBIA,  March  5,  1830, 

"MY  DEAR  PATRON:  The  metaphysical  distinction  drawn  by  Lord 
Shaf  tesbury  between  what  is  good  and  what  is  virtuous,  seems  unneces 
sary.  The  former,  according  to  him,  implies  whatsoever  promotes  the 
interests  of  the  general  system ;  the  latter,  an  affection  for  what  pro 
motes  that  interest.  Virtue,  therefore,  is  a  quality  of  the  agent ;  good, 
of  the  action.  A  notion  of  good  must  be  obtained  before  we  can  be 
come  virtuous.  For  how  can  we  have  an  affection  for  what  we  do  not 
comprehend?  Nothing,  says  this  author,  can  be  denominated  either 
good  or  ill,  unless  it  promotes  or  counteracts  the  interest  of  the  system 
of  which  it  is  a  part.  No  animal  can  be  called  ill  unless  it  is  hurtful 
to  the  animal  system.  No  man  can  be  called  ill,  unless  he  is  hurtful 
to  the  human  species.  But  what  sagacity  can  trace  the  result  of  human 
actions  ?  Few  men  inquire  whether  their  actions  promote  the  weal  of 
society  or  not,  and  yet  know  whether  they  are  good  or  bad.  How  is 
this  ?  Nature  has  given  them  a  sense  of  right  and  wrong.  "Whatever 
pleases  this  intellectual  sense  is  right ;  the  contrary,  wrong.  It  is  the 
character  of  good  actions,  however,  to  promote  the  interest  of  the  gene 
ral  system. 

"  This  is  a  summary  of  Lord  Shaf  tesbury 's  sentiments,  as  far  as  I  have 
read.  To  find  his  meaning  in  a  mountain  of  useless  verbosity  is  no 
ordinary  task.  I  chain  myself  down  to  it,  however.  To  give  you  some 
insight  into  his  style,  if  style  it  may  be  called,  he  expresses  in  twenty 
lines  no  other  sentiment  than  this  :  '  That  a  man,  by  vice,  does  himself 
as  much  harm  as  if  he  were  to  wound  himself. '  Guess  from  this  of  hia 
verbosity.  Still  his  periods  are  very  harmonious.  They  are  delightful 
to  the  ear,  but  rough  to  the  understanding.  His  style  has  the  good 
effect  of  concentrating  the  attention.  He  never  expresses  clearly  and 
distinctly ;  but  he  envelopes  everything  in  a  cloud  of  words.  Self- 
examination  is  a  clear  idea  of  itself;  but  Lord  S.  makes  it  a  mys 
tery.  It  is  to  be  a  self-dialogist ;  to  form  the  dual  number  with  one's 
self ;  to  enter  into  self-partnership  ;  to  divide  one's  self  into  two  par 
ties  ;  and  all  such  nonsense  as  this.  But  let  us  leave  this  worthy  deist. 
Yours,  gratefully  and  affectionately,  J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


I 

COLLEGE    LIFE.  f)9 

"  CHERAW,  April  10,  183G. 

"DEAB  JAMES  :  You  judged  rightly  ;  it  has  been  the  pressure  of  pro 
fessional  business  that  prevented  niy  writing  you  before  ;  and  I  trust 
you  will  excuse  me,  knowing  as  you  do,  that  it  is  but  rarely,  and  tl:en 
only  with  a  good  reason,  that  I  suffer  even  the  impatient  calls  of  pro 
fessional  business  to  interrupt  my  performance  of  the  duties  of  friend 
ship.  I  know  you  will  not  accuse  me  of  neglect  or  indifference  to  your 
interest. 

"  So  you  think  that  if  you  pay  '  some  Attention  '  to  a  book,  in  the  read 
ing,  you  will  find  little  to  do  in  the  review !  This  expression  of  yours 
amused  me  not  a  little  ;  and.  to  say  the  least,  it  furnished  no  evidence 
of  your  self-distrust.  But  I  suppose  you  think  it  the  privilege  of  great 
minds  to  possess,  and  sometimes  to  exhibit,  a  consciousness  of  superior 
power.  It  is  so ;  and  it  is  probably  the  surest  test  of  a  superior  judg 
ment,  to  determine  wisely  the  subject  and  occasion  when  to  put  it  forth. 
To  be  confident  in  our  opinions  and  assertions  in  trivial  matters,  or  too 
often  so  in  any  matters  ;  or  even  rarely,  when  the  occasion  does  not  re 
quire  and  justify  it,  is  neither  more  nor  less  than  downright  dogmatism. 
And  besides,  it  is  impolitic  in  another  view  ;  by  being  habitually  posi 
tive,  we  multiply  the  chances  of  being  sometimes  in  error ;  and  the 
most  fortunate  man  cannot  promise  himself  that  he  will  never  be  de 
tected  ;  and  whenever  caught  tripping  in  this  way,  in  a  matter  of  opin 
ion,  distrust  in  his  judgment — in  a  matter  of  fact,  doubt  in  his  vera 
city,  is  sure  to  follow.  Nor  will  the  consequences  be  restricted  in  its 
operations  to  the  narrow  circle  of  those  who  were  personal  witnesses  of 
the  cause  ;  good  report  travels  at  snail's  pace,  whilst  detraction  outrides 
the  wind.  Such  a  practice,  too,  begets  suspicion  in  the  minds  of  intelli 
gent  men,  that  what  wre  lack  in  reason,  we  seek  to  make  up  in  assu 
rance  ;  and  this  inference  is  generally  a  just  one. 

' '  But  on  the  contrary,  a  truly  great  mind,  flinging  aside  all  adventitious 
props,  rising  buoyant  of  its  own  native  energies,  and  poising  itself 
proudly  on  the  consciousness  of  its  own  moral  power,  is,  at  the  same 
time,  the  rarest  and  most  magnificent  spectacle  in  the  moral  universe. 
It  impresses  us  with  admiration,  with  wonder  and  fear.  It  is  a  noble 
daring,  which  fills  us  with  solemn  awe,  the  highest  effort  of  moral  cour 
age  ;  because  it  is  done  under  the  deepest  sense  of  personal  responsi 
bility  ;  because  it  is  done  at  the  hazard  of  everything  which  such  a  man 
holds  valuable  in  life  :  present  mortification,  influence,  and  pride  of  char 
acter.  And  when  we  analyze  this  sentiment,  we  find  that  it  derives  all 
its  sublimity  from  its  rare  exercise  by  such  a  mind,  the  importance  of 
the  occasion ,  and  the  noble  reason  which  prompts  and  sustains  it ;  take 
away  either,  and,  instead  of  sublimity,  we  shall  have  a  precious  speci 
men  of  the  ridiculous ;  deprive  it  of  all,  and  you  leave  us  the  antago 
nist  character,  in  which  vanity,  rant,  and  dogmatism  are  the  essential 
ingredients. 

"Now,  I  would  not  have  you  think  that  these  reflections  have  a  per 
sonal  bearing,  They  have  not,  nor  were  they  so  intended.  They  aro 


70  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

general  remarks,  which  have  suggested  themselves  to  my  mind ;  and  I 
have  thrown  them  out  as  food  for  your  reflection,  and  for  animadversion 
and  correction,  if  you  are  so  inclined,  in  a  future  letter.  I  should  pre 
fer  some  original  speculations  of  your  own,  to  the  general  remarks  on 
authors  which  you  introduce  into  your  letters  :  and  let  them  be  suit 
ably  interspersed  with  any  incident  of  personal  interest  which  may 
transpire.  I  mention  this,  not  in  the  tone  of  censure  ;  but  that  you 
may  know  that  incidents  of  a  personal  interest  to  you  will  always  have 
an  interest  for  me.  I  never  thought  you  extravagant,  but  suspect  that 
you  deny  yourself  too  much.  Have  enclosed  twenty  dollars. 

W.  H.  BOBBINS. 

"COLUMBIA,  April  14,  1830. 

"  MY  DEAR  PATEON  :  I  received  yesterday  your  letter  covering  twenty 
dollars  ;  which,  although  not  adequate  to  my  present  exigencies,  was,  I 
assure  you,  a  very  acceptable  boon.  Thirty  dollars  more  would  bo 
amply  adequate  to  pay  demands  until  June,  when  I  should  need  the 
same  amount  again. 

"lam  'strangely  oblivious,'  as  the  Dominie  would  say,  if  I  did  not 
give  you  or  General  Gillespie  an  account  of  the  late  excitement  in 
College." 

(Here  follows  a  long  recital  of  a  riot,  with  the  details 
of  which  the  reader  would  not  be  interested.  We  pass, 
therefore,  to  the  closing  paragraph  of  this  letter.)  . 

"The  sentence  in  my  letter  which  gave  rise  to  the  philosophical  re 
flection  in  yours,  was  intended  as  a  modest  way  of  telling  you  that  I 
studied  my  lessons  the  first  time,  and  therefore  found  little  new  in  the 
review.  I  did  not  mean  to  say  that,  whilst  others  were  compelled  to 
labour  and  toil  over  their  lessons,  I  could  learn  them  with  barely  '  some 
attention.'  This  was  not  my  idea.  If  I  have  not  the  self-distrust;  I 
have  the  discretion,  at  least,  to  restrain  such  bursts  of  vanity.  Your 
remarks,  however,  could  not  have  been  personal  ;  for  you  would  have 
been  disgusted,  and  not  'amused.' 

Yours  gratefully  and  affectionately, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

"COLUMBIA,  May  1,  1830. 

"  MY  DEAR  PATRON  :  Your  letter  covering  thirty  dollars  has  been  re 
ceived,  which  filled  me  with  emotions  of  the  liveliest  character.  Indeed, 
how  could  it  have  been  otherwise,  unless  I  had  been  made  of  stone. 
Your  closing  sentence  in  particular  aroused  the  tenderest  sentiments  of 
my  heart ;  and,  my  dear  sir,  as  long  as  I  have  a  heart,  as  long  as  I  am 
myself,  the  warmest  feelings  of  my  nature  shall  ever  be  indulged  to 
wards  you.  I  entertain  a  deep,  and  I  hope  a  noble,  sentiment  towards 
the  kindest  benefactors  that  ever  relieved  the  wants  of  suffering  human- 


COLLEGE  LIFE.  71 

ity.  When  I  consider  my  former  situation,  the  ignorance  and  poverty 
that  seemed  my  inevitable  doom,  and  contrast  it  with  my  present  state, 
my  bosom  glows  with  the  most  ardent  gratitude  and  affection  towards 
those  generous  souls  who  stretched  out  the  hand  of  relief,  and  still  hold 
it  out.  When  old  age  shall  have  come  upon  you,  with  its  attendent  mis 
eries,  should  all  others  desert  you,  I  will  still  cling  the  closer  to  you,  and 
deem  it  my  greatest  satisfaction  to  rock  the  cradle  of  your  declining 
years,  and  to  smooth  your  bed  of  death.  The  evening  of  your  life  shall 
not  disappear  in  clouds,  but  shall  pass  off  as  calmly  and  as  tranquilly  as 
a  summer's  day ;  and  when  the  grave  shall  have  closed  upon  you,  I  will 
pay  the  tribute  of  affection  to  your  memory.  These  are  the  feelings  of 
my  bosom.  Accept  them,  I  pray  you,  as  all  that  I  can  now  return  for 
your  kindness  to  me ;  but  remember  the  day  is  not  far  distant,  perhaps, 
when  you  will  find  some  satisfaction  in 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

The  three  letters  which  follow  are  such  as  are  seldom 
found  in  a  College  correspondence.  The  instances  are  rare 
in  which,  on  the  one  hand,  a  parent  or  guardian  has  need 
to  urge  the  child  or  ward  to  spend  more  freely  the  money 
which  is  munificently  supplied;  whilst  the  pupil,  on  the 
other  hand,  finds  himself  driven  to  philosophy  to  justify 
his  parsimony.  It  is  equally  honourable  to  both  the  par 
ties.  It  is  the  more  remarkable,  since  Dr.  Thornwell  was 
naturally  extravagant  in  all  his  tastes;  and  his  expendi 
tures  were  bounded  only  by  his  means.  The  disclosure  in 
these  letters  fully  justifies  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Robbins, 
given  in  later  years,  when  his  ward  had  won  his  own  in 
dependent  position  in  the  world :  "  James  is  lavish  with 
his  own  means,  but  careful  and  honest  with  that  of  an 
other."  But  to  the  letters: 

"CHEBAW,  November  10,  1830, 

"  DEAR  JAMES  :  I  received  last  evening  your  letter  of  the  fourth  cur 
rent  ;  also  that  of  last  month,  enclosing  Dr.  Green's  receipt  for  the 
money.  *  *  *  I  like  and  approve  a  wise  economy ;  but  carried  too 
far,  as  I  fear  you  have  done,  it  ceases  to  be  a  virtue ;  and  neither  the 
Generals  nor  myself  desire  it,  nor  can  we  approve.  We  wish  you  to  be 
liberal,  not  profuse,  in  your  expenditure ;  and  anything  short  of  this 
we  cannot  sanction.  Your  impatience  to  be  earning  for  yourself  is 
premature.  This  will  do  well  by  and  by.  Let  all  your  present  aims 
be  directed  to  ^he  laying  a  solid  foundation.  The  superstructure  must 
await  this ;  and  without  it,  future  exertion  will  be  unavailing.  Not 
only  endeavour  to  supply  your  mind  with  knowledge,  but  cultivate  a 


72  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

cool  and  dispassionate  judgment  in  all  things,  whether  appertaining  to 
your  conduct  now,  or  to  your  opinions.  It  is  by  this,  rest  assured,  that 
all  human  things  are  to  be  weighed ;  and  to  this,  as  a  test,  must  and 
will  all  be  submitted  in  the  realities  of  life.  Enthusiasm,  which  na 
turally  recommends  itself  to  youth,  is  regarded  in  its  proper  light  by 
age  and  experience.  It  is  a  pleasant  attendant  to  solid  sense  and  cor 
rect  views ;  but  without  them,  'tis  unsure  to  stand  upon.  In  all  your 
reflections,  where  conduct  is  the  aim,  regard  human  nature  as  it  is,  not 
as  it  should  be.  Man  has  sought  out  many  inventions,  says  the  good 
Book ;  and  if  we  would  influence  man,  or  govern  him,  we  must  not 
only  know,  but  reckon  on,  these  inventions.  The  seaman  who  would 
determine  by  course  and  distance  only,  will  find  himself  at  fault  when 
he  makes  land  ;  the  winds  and  currents  must  enter  into  his  estimate,  too, 
if  he  would  fix  his  true  place.  When  you  have  gotten  your  education, 
the  quality  of  which  depends  more  on  youself  than  on  your  instructors, 
there  will  be  ample  time  to  devise  and  pursue  the  business  of  life.  Be 
fore  then,  we  wish  you  to  employ  all  your  thoughts  on  the  cultivation 
of  mind.  Let  them  not  be  bounded  by  the  narrow  horizon  of  College 
and  its  honours ;  these  are  trivial  affairs,  and  not  worth  a  thought,  in 
comparison  with  that  general  knowledge  and  cultivation  of  judgment ; 
that  broad  and  comprehensive  view  of  men,  subjects,  and  things,  which 
alone  go  to  constitute  the  character  of  a  great  mind.  "Tis  a  good  rule, 
never  to  hazard  an  opinion  on  a  subject  until  it  is  wholly  before  you  • 
for,  by  being  frequently  detected  in  error,  men  lose  confidence  in  our 
ability  and  judgment ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  to  be  positive  seldom, 
and  always  to  be  found  right,  fixes  a  character  which  will  ensure,  be 
cause  it  will  merit,  the  confidence  of  others.  These  are  a  few  hasty  hints 
for  your  consideration.  You  said  you  would  send  a  copy  of  my  last 
summer's  letters.  Do  so  in  your  next. 

I  am,  as  ever,  yours, 

W.  H.  BOBBINS." 

"  COLUMBIA,  November  13,  1830. 

"Mr  DEAK  PATKON  :  "  I  have  just  received  your  letter,  which  affords  a 
striking  illustration  of  the  power  of  the  associating  principle.  The  train 
of  thought  which  suggested  your  philosophical  reflections  can  be  easily 
traced  out.  You  are  particularly  anxious  to  guard  me  against  a  dogmatical 
spirit.  In  other  words,  you  think  that  I  had  passed  an  opinion  on  your 
letter,  which  I  had  positively  asserted  to  be  true,  but  which  turns  out  to  be 
false.  Taking  this  for  granted,  you  are  desirous  of  preventing  me  from 
committing  future  errors  of  the  same  kind.  Your  reflections  are  just, 
and  are  calculated  to  be  serviceable.  It  is  not  to  their  tendency,  or  the 
spirit  which  dictated  them,  that  I  object.  These  are  noble,  and  receive 
my  hearty  thanks.  But  the  assumption  on  which  they  rest,  I  cannot 
grant.  That  you  may  judge  for  yourself,  however,  I  copy  your  letter  : 
'  I  have  time  only  to  enclose  you  thirty  dollars,  and  to  exhort  you  to 
make  good  use  of  it.  You  had  better  go  with  others,  and  deny  yourself 


COLLEGE  LIFE.  73 

no  indulgence  which  does  not  exceed  the  limits  of  a  gentlemanly  deco 
rum.'  It  is  dated  24th  April,  1830.  Does  this  differ  from  what  I  stated 
to  be  its  import  ?  Can  I,  by  any  means,  gather  the  meaning  of  the 
phrase,  '  You  had  better  go  with  others  ?'  It  cannot  allude  to  the  rebel 
lion,  for  that  took  place  early  in  March.  Your  reflections  shall  guide 
me  in  other  cases,  although  they  do  not  apply  to  this.  In  speaking  of 
frugality  or  economy,  may  I  presume  to  suggest  that  you  had  overlooked 
a  material  circumstance  ?  What  is  economy  in  one  man  is  parsimony 
in  another ;  and  vice  versa.  It  depends  on  the  circumstances  of  men. 
A  man  in  my  circumstances  cannot  be  well  charged  with  meanness  or 
stinginess  ;  but  a  rich  man  can.  We  must  accumulate  before  we  can 
spend,  and  not  spend  before  we  accumulate.  If  these  remarks  are 
wrong,  you  will  please  correct  me ;  if  right,  you  can  confirm  them  by 
your  sanction.  I  shall  endeavour  to  profit  by  your  remarks  on  the  true 
objects  of  a  Collegiate  education.  They  are  confirmed  by  every  writer 
on  that  subject,  and  deserve  the  attention  of  all  men  who  are  anxious 
to  improve  their  minds. 

"  The  examination  will  take  place  in  about  three  weeks,  and  then  I 
hope  to  be  a  Senior.  Will  you  be  here  then?  If  you  come,  do  not 
forget  to  bring  my  French  Grammar.  I  stand  greatly  in  need  of  it. 
In  January  I  commence  German.  I  am  very  anxious  to  understand 
that  language.  It  is  a  common  acquisition  at  the  North.  I  am  read 
ing  Cicero  de  Legibus  in  the  original,  and  find  little  difficulty;  also 
Stewart's  Philosophy.  Saturdays  I  amuse  myself  with  history. 
Yours,  gratefully  and  affectionately, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

'  CHERAW,  November  20,  1830. 

"DEAB  JAMES:  I  have  received  your  last  letter;  and  as  I  have  sur 
mised,  you  fell  into  error  in  the  construction  you  gave  my  old  letter, 
by  taking  too  narrow  a  view  of  it.  I  admit  that  the  words  '  go  with 
others,'  unqualified  by  any  other  expression,  do  bear  the  construction 
which  you  gave  them.  But  how  it  was  possible,  taking  the  whole  sen 
tence  together,  for  you  to  have  fallen  into  the  error  you  did,  I  cannot 
imagine.  After  saying  that  I  enclosed  money,  and  exhorting  you  to 
make  a  good  use  of  it,  I  remarked  further,  that  '  You  had  better  go  with 
others,  and  deny  yourself  no  indulgence,'  etc.  Now,  it  seems  to  me 
that  the  latter  clause  confines  and  explains  the  preceding,  that  it  would 
be  impossible  to  misinterpret  it.  The  meaning  was :  if  you  were  so 
licited  to  go  to  a  supper,  regard  not  the  cost,  but  go  ;  if  to  a  ride,  regard 
not  the  cost,  but  go.  I  meant  that  you  must  not  deny  yourself  little  indul 
gences,  though  they  might  require  money ;  not  seclude  yourself  from 
your  companions  and  their  amusements,  when  any  demands  would  be 
laid  upon  your  purse;  but  'go  with  them.'  And  I  must  think,  on  a 
second  view  of  the  sentence,  you  will  wonder  how  you  should  have  so 
marvellously  erred.  In  haste,  your  friend, 

W.  H.  BOBBINS." 


74:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

According  to  his  expectations,  Thornwell  rose  Senior 
at  the  opening  of  the  next  session,  in  January,  1831 .  It  i& 
to  be  regretted  that  there  are  no  remains  of  the  correspon 
dence,  which  was  yet  vigorously  maintained,  as  we  learn 
from  the  only  relic  in  our  possession.  The  studies  of  this- 
year,  so  much  in  unison  with  the  genius  and  taste  of  our 
young  friend,  the  increased  maturity  of  his  own  mind,  and 
the  freedom  of  discussion  so  generously  solicited  by  his 
patron,  would  doubtless  have  enriched  these  pages  with 
epistles  of  surpassing  interest.  It  is  singular  that  the 
chances  of  time  should  have  spared  nothing  upon  either 
side,  with  the  exception  of  a  solitary  communication  from 
Mr.  Bobbins'.  This  is  characterized  by  the  same  vigour 
of  thought,  the  same  justness  of  discrimination,  the  same 
moderation  of  tone,  and  the  same  elevation  of  moral 
principle,  which  the  reader  has  perceived  in  the  letters- 
already  given.  His  attachment  to  his  ward  rendered 
him-,  by  no  means,  blind  to  the  faults  from  which  he  was 
only  effectively  delivered  by  Divine  grace,  at  a  later 
period.  He  perceives  them  with 'a  perfectly  clear  eye, 
and  addresses  himself  to  their  correction  with  a  direct 
ness  and  precision  that  could  not  be  evaded.  At  the 
same  time,  we  are  filled  with  wonder  at  the  skill  with 
which  the  invidious  task  is  accomplished;  and  know  not 
which  most  to  admire,  the  delicacy  which  escapes  wound 
ing  the  sensibilities  and  arousing  the  resistance  of  his 
protege ;  or  the  wisdom  which,  under  the  form  of  philo 
sophical  disquisition,  insinuates  his  criticisms  into  a  mind 
that  was  ravished  with  the  charms  of  metaphysics.  ]STo 
mind  could  have  been  better  fitted  to  discharge  the  office 
of  a  Mentor  to  such  a  temperament  as  that  he  had  under 
taken  to  mould.  And  those  who  recall  the  prudence  of 
Dr.  Thornwell,  in  after  life,  in  forming  his  opinions,  and 
the  caution  with  which  he  surveyed  a  question  on  every 
side,  before  committing  himself,  will  perhaps  trace  the 
influence  of  these  reiterated  suggestions,  in  framing  one 
of  the  wisest  counsellors  that  ever  sat  in  the  courts  of  the 


COLLEGE    LIFE.  75 

Church.     It  is  thus  he  deals  with  certain  tendencies  in 
his  young  ward  to  dogmatism  and  intellectual  pride : 


"  CHERAW,  May  23,  1831. 

"  MY  DEAR  JAMES  :  Your  last  very  ample  letter  gave  me  much  plea 
sure.  It  went  'more  largely  into  your  own  views  of  future  employment 
than  I  supposed  you  had  hitherto  suffered  your  mind  to  stretch  itself. 
There  is  opened  to  me  such  a  boundless  field  of  remark,  in  the  different 
subjects  embraced  in  your  letter,  that  it  will  not  be  expected  that  I  shall 
notice  all  of  them  ;  indeed,  I  shall  say  anything  only  on  one  or  two.  I 
was  glad  to  find  that  you  appreciated  in  their  proper  light,  the  value  of 
College  distinctions  ;  and  the  reflections  you  make  all  coincide  with  my 
own  views ;  and,  my  boy,  if  report  speaks  not  falsely,  you  will  bear  off 
some  honour  in  this  way.  I  was  glad  to  hear  it ;  but  I  was  far  more  so  to 
hear,  from  your  own  pen,  the  just  estimate  you  attached  to  all  Cqllegial 
honours.  Your  aspirations  are  fixed  on  higher,  nobler  objects  ;  but  be 
cautious  that  your  attachment  to  these,  and  to  those  employed  in  achiev 
ing  them,  be  not  coupled  with,  any  sentiment  of  contempt  or  detesta 
tion  for  them,  occupied  in  the  pursuit  of  those  of  humbler  sphere.  All 
men  are  not  endued  wi.th  the  faculties  of  a  Newton,  Bacon,  Locke ;  nor 
even  with  those  of  Gibbon,  Paley,  or  Stewart.  Nature  never  designed, 
therefore,  that  they  should  act  the  same  parts.  And  the  dispensation  is 
a  wise  one  ;  for  if  all  were  scholars,  where  is  to  be  done  the  vast  and 
important  business  of  the  world  ?  Who  is  to  bid  the  forest  to  disappear  ? 
"Who  to  construct  edifices  for  human  convenience ;  to  till  the  earth  for 
human  sustenance  ;  to  teach  the  child,  the  youth,  the  man  ?  Who  to 
administer  cures  for  human  ills  ;  the  laws,  for  human  safety  ?  In  short, 
what  is  to  become  of  the  whole  machine  of  civil  government,  if  we  are 
all  to  wrap  ourselves  up  in  ourselves,  and  write  philosophical,  moral, 
and  metaphysical  disquisitions  ?  Mark  me  !  I  do  not  urge  these  consid 
erations  for  the  purpose  of  deterring  you  from  the  pursuit  of  a  favourite 
employment ;  only  that  they  may  qualify  and  check  a  something  of 
contempt,  which  I  think  I  discovered  in  your  letter,  for  every  man  not 
employed  in  similar  studies,  and  not  endowed  by  nature  with  extra 
ordinary  capacities.  Kecollect,  both  taste  and  talent  are  mainly  the 
gift  of  nature  to  man.  He  is  accountable  to  the  Giver  only  for  the  pro 
per  use  of  what  he  has,  not  for  the  highest  possible  endowments.  And 
it  ill  becomes  us,  because  we  have  been  more  liberally  dealt  with  by  a 
kind  Providence,  to  look  with  scorn  or  contempt  on  those  to  whom  less 
has  been  given,  and  of  whom  less  will  be  required,  who  perform  equally 
well  with  ourselves  their  several  offices  in  life,  and  those  offices,  perhaps, 
no  less  important  and  necessary  than  those  which  fall  to  our  lot,  for  the 
use,  comfort,  and  well-being  of  society. 

"But  besides  all  this,  methinks  you  carry  your  notions  on  this  sub 
ject  by  far  too  far.  An  accomplished  and  elegant  scholar,  and  a  pro 
found  one  too,  if  you  please,  is  a  white  swan  in  our  land,  I  admit ;  but 


76  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKN'WELL. 

his  fame  is  confined,  sifter  all,  to  a  very  limited  sphere  ;  and  though  he 
may  work  out  for  himself  a  name  of  celebrity,  yet  he  is  of  little  real 
practical  use  in  life.  Not  that  I  would  have  you  betake  yourself  to 
politics  ;  'tis  the  curse  of  our  land  ;  but  I  would  have  you  a  well-read 
and  sound  lawyer,  an  elegant  and  able  advocate.  We  cannot  devote  all 
our  time  to  abstract  studies  of  pleasure.  Some  must  be  given  to  the 
business  of  life  ;  for  by  this  we  earn  our  support.  And  in  the  Law  is  a 
source,  not  only  of  gain  and  fame,  but,  to  one  of  your  metaphysical 
propensities,  of  real  pleasure ;  and  I  doubt  not  but  you  will  be  as  much 
taken  with  its  nice  distinctions  and  metaphysical  subtleties  as  you  ever 
were  with  Keid,  Stewart,  or  Brown.  But  the  attainment  of  the  highest 
celebrity  in  this  does  not  preclude  the  enjoyment  of  any  literary  pen 
chant  which  the  lawyer  may  possess.  And  more,  this  very  philosophi 
cal  taste  you  may  have  will  enable  you  to  read  law  as  a  science.  Your 
own  enlarged  views  Mill  prompt  you  to  practice  it  as  a  science,  not  as  a 
trade  ;  and  so  to  read  and  practice  it  is  the  infallible  road  to  eminence. 

' '  What  I  said  of  your  idolatry  was  said  ironice.  Have  you  not  yet 
learned  to  distinguish  between  -'rony  and  taunt  ?  And  don't  you  know, 
too,  that  when  I  rebuke  you,  it  is  without  any  ill  feeling,  but  with  a 
sincere  desire  for  your  amendment  ?  Vive  et  cognosce  ! 

"I  leave  this  for  the  North  on  the  17th  of  June.     I  am  anxious  to 
see  you  before  I  go.     I  am  glad  that  you  have  written  regularly.     You 
must  also  write  me  once  a  fortnight,  and  at  length,  when  I  am  North. 
Direct  to  Boston.     Let  me  know  when  I  shall  see  you. 
Yours  affectionately, 

W.  H.  BOBBINS." 

On  the  back  of  this  letter  is  endorsed  this  criticism : 
"A  general  diffusion  of  science  and  knowledge  would  not 
have  the  effect  ascribed  to  it  in  this  letter.  J.  H.  T." 

From  youth  to  manhood,  the  moral  character  of  Thorn- 
well  was  almost  irreproachable.  In  his  boyhood,  Mr. 
Bobbins  writes  of  him  :  "  He  was  pure  and  chaste,  I  never 
discovered  any  want  of,  or  deviation  from,  integrity  and 
truthfulness,  and  never  was  called  on  to  correct  any  lack 
of  principle."  The  testimony  of  his  classmates  gives 
almost  as  clear  a  record,  during  his  College  life.  One 
says  :  "  I  have  heard  it  said  that  Thornwell  was  dissipated 
in  College.  It  is  a  mistake.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
steady  students  among  us  all.  He  had  no  bad  habits, 
according  to  the  standard  of  College  morality.  I  do  not 
remember  to  have  ever  heard  him  use  an  oath.  He  never 
gambled,  nor  do  I  think  he  played  at  cards,  or  indulged 


COLLEGE    LIFE.  77 

in  any  other  game  for  amusement.  He  but  rarely  used 
wines  or  ardent  spirits.  I  saw  him  once  heated  with 
liquor,  and  I  was  much  surprised,  it  being  so  entirely  con 
trary  to  his  habits."  From  another,  we  have  the  following 
amusing  specifications :  "  Thornwell  was  not  a  professor 
of  religion  while  at  College ;  but,  so  far  as  I  know,  and  I 
had  opportunities  for  such  knowledge,  from  rooming  near 
him,  he  indulged  in  none  of  the  vices  common  among 
young  men  at  such  institutions ;  certainly  not  habitually. 
I  can  recall  but  three  instances  of  deviation  from  the  course 
of  strict  morality.  One  was  on  the  occasion  of  a  College 
treat  on  the  election  of  an  Anniversary  orator,  when  few, 
even  of  the  abstemious,  left  such  scenes  without  having 
4  got  outside,'  as  the  phrase  was,  of  a  quantity  of  wine 
and  cordials;  and  our  friend  was  not  in  the  minority. 
Another  was  on  the  occurrence  of  a  snow  storm  in  Co 
lumbia  ;  when  history  and  tradition  informed  us  it  had 
ever  been  the  practice  to  disregard  all  College  regulations, 
suspend  all  College  exercises,  and  take  to  hot  punch 
and  honey.  Considering  the  weather  quite  too  inclement 
to  permit  the  classes  to  reach  the  recitation  rooms,  they 
marched  £  up  town'  for  the  materials  for  the  punch ;  and 
returning,  indulged  in  a  wild  jollification,  our  friend  acting 
a  prominent  part.  The  third  was  a  nocturnal  visit  to  the 
strawberry  beds  in  the  garden  of  one  of  the  citizens  of  the 
town,  without  the  formality  of  asking  leave.  At  that 
time,  such  depredations  by  the  students  were  sustained  by 
College  public  opinion,  as  not  only  not  disreputable,  but 
as  good  practical  jokes,  of  the  success  of  which  one  might 
boast.  But  the  strawberry  expedition  was  the  only  in 
stance  within  my  knowledge  of  'his  ever  yielding  to  the 
spirit  of  fun,  in  that  direction." 

The  simple  fact  is,  that,  independent  of  the  moral  prin 
ciple  which  he  unquestionably  possessed,  his  scholarly 
tastes  and  overweening  ambition  would  serve  to  restrain 
anything  short  of  an  invincible  propensity  to  vice.  It  is 
the  prerogative  of  a  master  passion  to  root  out  whatever 


78  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

contradicts  its  own  supremacy.  And  the  form  which  de 
pravity  would  be  most  likely  to  assume  in  such  a  nature 
as  his,  would  be  predominantly  intellectual,  the  adoption 
of  skeptical  and  infidel  views,  which  would  trample  upon 
the  humility  of  grace,  and  -defy  the  authority  of  God. 
How  near  he  came  to  this,  leads  to  the  consideration  of 
his  religious  history  at  this  period. 

Whatever  the  traditional  bias  of  his  mind  upon  this 
subject,  one  of  his  speculative  turn  could  not  be  brought 
in  contact  with  opposing  views,  without  subjecting  the 
whole  matter  to  re-examination.  The  form  of  infidelity 
which  pervaded  the  College  in  his  day  has  already  been 

JL  €/  t/ 

indicated,  and  this  forced  the  subject  anew  upon  his  atten 
tion.  He  was  in  little  danger  of  being  caught  in  the  toils 
of  materialism.  Every  operation  of  mind,  and  every  con 
scious  emotion  of  the  heart,  are  an  insurrection  against 
this  base  usurpation.  His  metaphysical  tendencies  offered 
protection  in  this  direction,  and  the  very  instinct  of  thought 
would  be  to  him  an  assertion  of  the  spiritual  in  man.  The 
writer  had  from  his  own  lips  the  substance  of  the  follow 
ing  paragraphs. 

The  question  that  first  engaged  his  attention  involved 
the  claim  of  Deism.  Admitting  the  existence  of  a  Su 
preme  Being,  can  reason  alone  gather,  from  the  o'racles 
of  nature,  within  and  without  itself,  a  competent  know 
ledge  of  his  character  and  will,  to  enable  man-to  meet  the 
responsibilities  of  his  condition.  He  examined  with  care 
the  writings  of  the  ablest  advocates  on  both  sides,  and 
rose  from  the  perusal  with  a  clear  and  unshaken  conviction 
of  the  necessity  of  a  Divine  revelation. 

He  next  turned  to  the  systems  which  profess  to  found 
upon  the  teachings  of  the  Bible.  Socinianism  had  spe 
cial  attractions,  in  its  exaltation  of  human  reason,  and  its 
promise  of  unbridled  liberty  of  thought.  With  the  know 
ledge  of  his  after  life  in  our  possession,  it  would  be  inter 
esting  to  trace  the  mental  conflict  through  which  he  must 
now  have  passed;  and  did  we  not  know  the  result,  we 


COLLEGE    LIFE.  79 

might  tremble  for  the  decision  which  is  to  be  rendered. 
Its  destructive  criticism  strips  Christianity  of  all  that  is 
supernatural,  and  drags  its  sublimest  mysteries  before  the 
bar  of  human  reason.  It  converts  "the  signs 'and  won 
ders"  of  the  Bible  into  the  legends  of  a  fabulous  a<re:  or 

O  C5       " 

into  myth  and  allegory,  the  mere  symbols  of  philosophy 
masking  its  teachings  under  the  guise  of  fancy;  or  into 
the  jugglery  of  nature,  beneath  which  we  are  to  detect 
only  the  working  of  her  secret  and  invariable  laws.  Shall 
our  student  be  dazzled  with  the  boldness  of  a  system, 
which 

"  Soars  untrodden  heights,  and  seems  at  home 
Where  angels  bashful  look  ;" 

which  professes  to  subdue  things  divine  under  the  domin 
ion  of  reason,  and  oifers  up  all  truth  as  a  sacrifice  at 
last  upon  the  altar  of  human  vanity  ?  Or,  on  the  other 
hand,  shall  His  earnest  soul,  longing  for  the  positive  and 
the  real,  turn  away  from  its  endless  negations,  from  the 
destructive  criticism  which  it  offers  in  lieu  of  a  construc 
tive  faith,  and  which  substitutes  the  abstractions  of  reason 
in  place  of  a  substantive  testimony  ?  Before  the  fervour 
of  his  gaze  will  not  these  airy  speculations,  woven  of  the 
mist  and  sunlight,  melt  away,  like  the  deceitful  mirage 
upon  the  distant  horizon.  Shall  not  his  warm  and  loving 
heart  find  itself  chilled,  in  an  atmosphere  which  offers 
nothing  to  the  embrace  of  the  affections?  Can  such  a 
nature  as  his  be  content  to  dwell  in  the  beautiful  snow- 
houses  of  this  polar  latitude,  shining  indeed,  with  crys- 
taline  splendour,  but  beneath  a  sun  which  neither  cheers 
nor  warms  ?  The  decision  trembles  not  long  upon  the 
balance;  he  turns  away  from  Socinianism,  with  the  indig 
nant  sarcasm  of  Mr.  Kandolph,  "What  a  Christless  Chris 
tianity  is  this !"  "  I  found  it,"  said  he  to  the  writer,  "  a 
system  that  would  not  hold  water;"  and  even  reason 
could  not  mend  the  leaks  through  which  its  virtue  oozed 
out. 

Thus  far  a  purely  intellectual  examination  had  con- 


80  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

ducted  him  to  a  recognition  of  the  Scriptures  as  the  reve 
lation  of  God,  and  of  Christianity  as  the  scheme  it 
unfolds.  Upon  the  interpretation  of  this  book,  he  has, 
as  yet,  framed  no  hypothesis.  But  the  time  has  come  for 
casting  his  traditional  belief  into  an  articulated  creed. 
And  here  again,  an  unseen  hand  interposes  for  his  guid 
ance,  and  a  seeming  accident  forms  the  hinge  of  his  future 
career.  During  an  evening  stroll,  he  stumbles  into  the 
book  store  of  the  town,  and  finds  lying  upon  the  counter 
a  small  volume,  entitled,  "  Confession  of  Faith."  He  had 
never  before  heard  of  its  existence;  he  only  saw  that  it 
contained  a  systematic  exposition  of  Christian  doctrine. 
It  is  needless  to  apprise  the  reader  that  it  was  the  West 
minster  Confession.  He  bought  it  for  twenty-five  cents, 
carried  it  home,  and,  as  he  himself  testifies,  read  it  en 
tirely  through  that  night.  "For  the  first  time,"  he  adds, 
"  I  felt  that  I  had  met  with  a  system  which  held  together 
with  the  strictest  logical  connection  ;  granting  its  premises, 
the  conclusions  were  bound  to  follow."  He  could  not 
immediately  pronounce  it  true,  without  a  careful  compar 
ison  of  the  text  with  the  scriptural  proofs  at  the  bottom 
of  each  page.  But  he  was  arrested  by  the  consistency  and 
rigour  of  its  logic.  This  book  determined  him  as  a  Cal- 
vinist  and  a  Presbyterian;  although  he  had  never  been 
thrown  into  contact  with  this  branch  of  the  Church  of 
Christ,  and  had  never  been,  but  once,  within  any  of  its 
sanctuaries  of  worship.  The  circumstance,  however,  of 
most  interest  in  the  whole  series,  is  the  fact  that  the  chap 
ter  which  most  impressed  him  in  this  "  Confession,"  was 
the  chapter  on  Justification — the  doctrine  which  is  the 
key  to  the  whole  Gospel,  and  well  styled  by  Luther,  "  ar- 
ticulus  stantis  aut  cadentis  ecclesice"  How  parallel  with 
the  history  of  Luther  himself,  and  of  the  great  Re 
formers  of  the  sixteenth  century !  who,  by  this  clue,  ex 
tricated  themselves  from  the  toils  of  Popery,  and  built 
Protestant  Christianity  upon  it  as  the  keystone  of  the 
arch,  by  which  the  whole  superstructure  was  supported. 


COLLEGE    LIFE.  81 

Those  who  recall  the  fierce  conflict  which  raged  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  at  the  time  our  friend  was  intro 
duced  into  its  ministry,  and  who  remember  the  distin 
guished  part  he  was  called  to  bear  in  defence  of  the 
doctrines  of  the  Reformation,  which  are  only  the  doc 
trines  of  grace,  cannot  fail  to  recognize  here  the  wonder 
ful  method  by  which  he  was  unconsciously  trained  for  a 
similar  work  of  reform.  None  can  fail  to  see,  that  those 
who  are  raised  up  to  be  the  champions  of  truth,  in  an  age 
of  defection  and  strife,  and  those  who  are  destined  to 
shape  the  theology  of  their  age,  must  drink  the  truth 
from  no  secondary  stream,  but  fresh  from  the  oracles  oi 
God,  and  from  those  symbolical  books,  in  which  the  faith 
of  the  universal  Church  is  sacredly  enshrined. 

But  if  these  researches  led  him  within  the  teirple  of 
Christian  truth,  it  was  only  to  wonder,  and  not  to  wor 
ship.  He  stood  beneath  its  majestic  dome,  and  mused 
along  its  cathedral  aisles,  as  before  he  had  wandered 
through  the  groves  of  the  Academy,  or  paused  beneath 
the  porch  of  the  Stoic.  The  gospel  was  nothing  more 
than  a  sublime  philosophy;  and  if  it  secured  the  homage 
of  his  intellect,  it  failed,  as  yet,  to  control  the  affections 
of  his  heart.  If  he  seemed  to  sit  with  reverence  at  the 
feet  of  the  Great  Teacher,  it  was  only  as  a  teacher 
something  greater  than  Socrates,  and  more  divine  than 
Plato.  The  seed  must  lie  dead  for  a  time.  How  soon 
it  was  to  germinatej  and  what  fruit  to  bear,  we  shall 
shortly  trace.  There  is  a  statement  that  he  had,  in 
College,  moments  of  deep  conviction  for  sin;  and  would 
then  resort  to  the  room  of  a  pious  student,  soliciting  his 
prayers.  But  most  certainly,  these  convictions  did  not 
then  ripen  to  any  permanent  issue,  however  they  may 
have  served  to  keep  alive  the  fire  of  religious  feeling, 
until  the  moment  of  God's  merciful  visitation. 

An  incident  deserves  to  be  recorded,  in  this  connection, 
not  as  bearing  upon  religious  experience,  but  as  illus 
trating  the  honesty  of  his  character,  and  the  tone  of  his 


82  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL.  * 

moral  principles.  During  his  Senior  year,  the  report  was 
rife  throughout  the  State,  that  Dr.  Cooper  was  abusing 
his  position  by  teaching  infidelity  in  his  lectures.  A 
meeting  of  the  class  was  called  by  certain  indiscreet 
friends  of  this  distinguished  man,  and  resolutions  were 
introduced  repelling  the  charge,  strong  appeals  being 
made  to  secure  a  unanimous  vote  in  their  favour.  It  was 
a  moment  of  severe  trial  to  young  Thorn  well,  who  was  a 
candidate  for  the  honours  of  his  class,  to  be  awarded  by 
the  very  party  whom  his  conscience  compelled  him  to 
offend.  He  resolved  to  do  what  he  felt  to  be  right,  be 
the  consequences  as  they  may.  He  opposed  the  reso 
lutions  with  such  vigour  that  they  were  withdrawn;  and 
the  effort  to  influence  public  opinion  in  this  way  was 
abandoned. 

It  is  pleasant  to  add,  that  this  exercise  of  moral  courage 
did  not  work  the  forfeiture  which  he  had  risked.  In  fact, 
his  position  had  been  too  cordially  and  too  universally 
conceded  in  his  class,  to  remain  unrewarded  at  last.  In 
December,  1831,  at  nineteen  years  of  age,  he  graduated 
with  the  highest  distinction  the  College  could  confer,  and 
pronounced,  as  usual,  the  Latin  salutatory,  on  Commence 
ment  day.  He  left  his  Alma  Mater,  followed  by  uni 
versal  predictions  of  his  future  greatness;  and  by  the  path 
of  these  same  predictions  he  returned,  six  years  later,  to 
be  as  distinguished  amongst  its  teachers,  as  before  he  had 
been  amongst  its  pupils. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

HIS  CONVERSION' 

INABILITY  TO  CHOOSE  A  PROFESSION. — REMAINS  AS  RESIDENT  GRADUATE 
IN  THE  COLLEGE  — CORRESPONDENCE. — TEACHES  AT  SUMTERVILLE. — 
LITERARY  PROJECTS.  — UNITES  WITH  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. — His 
OWN  ACCOUNT,  GIVETV  AT  A  LATER  PERIOD,  OF  HIS  RELIGIOUS  EXER 
CISES.— REVIEW  OF  HIS  RELIGIOUS  HISTORY. — His  OWN  ANLAYSIS  OF 
RELIGION.  — LETTER. 

A  FTER  obtaining  his  degree,  our  friend  did  not  immedi- 
_/jL  ately  plunge  into  the  great  world.  Desiring  to  lay 
broader  and  deeper  the  foundations  of  scholarship,  he 
proposed  to  remain  within  the  College  halls,  as  a  resident 
graduate,  for  the  term  of  one  year.  Another  reason  for 
this  course  was,  his  inability  to.  settle  down  upon  the 
choice  of  a  profession.  His  repugnance  to  the  Law  re 
mains  invincible,  and  he  finds  himself  destitute  of  the 
spiritual  qualifications  necessary  to  the  pulpit.  It  is  evi 
dent  that  he  will,  it'  possible,  steer  clear  of  both,  and  live, 
if  the  way  should  open  before  him,  the  life  simply  of  a 
scholar.  The  difficulty  was  in  the  way  of  support.  His 
independence — we  might  add,  his  sense  of  justice — would 
not  allow  him  to  remain  a  pensioner  upon  the  bounty 
which  had  sustained  him  thus  far.  He  attempts,  there 
fore,  to  eke  out  a  subsistence  as  a  private  tutor,  to  such  as 
desired  to  enter  College.  But  this  system  of  "  coaching," 
as  it  is  termed  in  English  Universities,  not  being  a  feature 
grafted  upon  our  American  Colleges,  his  scheme  failed-,  as 
might  have  been  anticipated;  and  he  was  soon  driven 
from  the  classic  shades  he  still  desired  to  haunt.  His  de 
signs,  and  methods  of  accomplishing  them,  will,  however, 
be  best  unfolded  by  himself,  in  the  extracts  which  follow, 
from  a  letter  addressed  to  his  class-mate,  Mr.  W.  M. 
Hutson : 

83 


84:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

''COLUMBIA,  February  18,  1832. 

"  DEAK  HUTSON  :  I  am  going  to  give  thee  an  epistle  truly  original  in  it» 
character,  and  I  will  lay  thee  a  wager  that,  when  it  is  concluded,  thou 
wilt  not  be  able  to  make  head  or  tail  of  it.  Imprimis  :  I  am  hard  en 
gaged  in  the  study  of  Greek,  Latin,  and  German  ;  I  read  all  sorts  of 
Greek  commentators,  as  Vigeriu's,  Middleton,  Mathiae,  and  others.  I 
have  commenced  regularly  with  Xenopbon's  works,  and  intend  to  read 
them  carefully.  I  shall  then  take  up  Thucydides,  Herodotus,  and  then 
Demosthenes.  After  mastering  these,  I  shall  pass  on  to  the  philoso 
phers  and  poets.  In  Latin.  I  am  going  regularly  through  Cicero's  writ 
ings.  I  read  them  by  double  translations ;  that  is,  I  first  translate 
them  into  English,  and  then  re-translate  them  into  Latin.  By  pursuing 
this  course,  I  observe  the  idioms,  phrases,  and  construction  of  Latin 
sentences  much  more  accurately  than  I  otherwise  would.  In  German,  I 
am  pursuing  Goethe's  works,  in  company  with  Gladney.  My  life,  you 
can  plainly  see,  is  not  a  life  of  idleness.  There  is  only  one  lazy  trait 
in  my  character,  however,  of  which  I  cannot  divest  myself;  and  that 
is,  sleeping  in  the  morning.  I  can  no  more  rise  before  the  sun  rises, 
than  I  can  go  to  bed  before  the  sun  sets.  *  *  *  I  take  private  schol 
ars,  and  thereby  accumulate  a  little  '  gear.'  If  you  know  of  any  young 
men  who  wish  to  prepare  for  College,  and  can  find  it  in  your  conscience 
to  recommend  me,  I  would  be  glad  if  you  would  do  so.  I  cannot 
bring  myself  to  study  law.  It  is  a  good  profession  to  contract  the 
mind  and  freeze  the  heart.  Nothing  but  necessity  shall  ever  induce  me 
to  study  it.  I  find  myself  most  sadly  puzzled  about  selecting  a  pro 
fession  ;  and  if  I  can  get  along  without  one,  I  will  never  study  one.  If 
I  had  anything  of  an  ordinary  human  shape  and  size,  I  might  marry 
into  wealth  enough  to  support  me  ;  but  as  it  is,  if  I  should  happen  to 
have  a  son,  it  would  be  a  hard  matter  to  distinguish  the  sire  from  hia 
issue.  Fancy  to  yourself  what  a  figure  I  would  cut  with  a  wife,  espe 
cially  if  she  were  fat  and  portly. 

"  Burn  this  scrawl,  and  believe  me  your  friend, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL.'* 


"Whilst  he  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  this  Academic  repose, 
it  may  be  as  well  to  introduce  a  letter,  written  at  an 
earlier  date,  while  still  an  undergraduate,  to  one  who  had 
been  the  first  companion  of  his  childhood,  and  who  re 
mained  his  steadfast  friend  till  death.  It  not  only  illus 
trates  the  early  and  constant  tendency  of  his  mind  to  run 
everything  which  he  observed  in  life  back  into  the  prin 
ciple  on  which  it  rests ;  but  it  will  serve  as  the  precursor 
of  other  letters  addressed  to  the  same  party : 


HIS  CONVERSION.  85 

"COLUMBIA,  October  7,  1831. 
"MB.  ALEXANDER  H.  PEGUES. 

"  MY  DEAR  FBIEND  :  I  now  sit  down,  not  so  much  to  redeem  my  pro 
mise,  as  to  gratify  my  own  feelings.  Though  not  a  votary  of  Epicurus, 
I  love  pleasure  ;  and  where  can  it  be  found  so  pure  and  refined  as  in 
the  temple  of  friendship  ?  But  I  am  not  about  to  declaim  on  this  sub 
ject  in  the  sickly  strains  of  a  school  boy,  or  of  a  girl  just  caught  in  the 
trap  of  Cupid.  I  intend  that  my  letter  shall  contain,  on  the  contrary, 
sundry  speculations  connected  with  passing  events.  The  first  thing 
that  suggests  itself  is  the  excitement  about  the  negroes.  We  have  con 
versed  considerably  on  this  subject ;  but  one  topic  grows  out  of  it,  upon 
which  we  have  never  touched.  I  allude  to  the  singular  phenomenon, 
that  frightened  men  trust  to  their  imagination  for  their  facts,  instead 
of  their  memories.  Our  good  old  metaphysical  vocabulary  teaches  us 
that  the  memory  is  the  record  of  facts ;  the  new  vocabulary  of  fear 
teaches  us  that  the  imagination  is.  How  has  this  change  happened? 
How  comes  it  to  pass  that  these  faculties  of  the  mind  have  exchanged 
places,  or  rather,  functions  ?  Has  the  memory  become  full,  and  turned 
over  its  surplus  to  the  sister  power?  I  confess  that  I  have  thought 
much  on  this  subject,  but  I  am  not  satisfied  yet.  My  reflections,  siich 
as  they  are,  you  are  heartily  welcome  to  know. 

"Do- you  remember  that  beautiful  passage  in  Shakespeare's  'Tem 
pest,'  where  Prospero  compares  his  brother  to  one, 

'  Who  having  Unto  truth,  by  telling  of  it, 
Made  such  a  sinner  of  his  memory, 
To  credit  his  own  lie.' 

His  brother  had  told  it  so  often  that  he  was  Duke,  that,  although  it  was 
a  lie,  he  came  at  length  to  believe  it.  Here  the  lie  had  been  so  often 
in  his  mind  as  to  form  a  necessary  link  in  the  chain  of  his  ideas.  It 
had  intermingled  itself  with  all  his  thoughts.  Precisely  analogous  is 
the  case  of  those  'sons  of  terror,'  who  circulate  the  most  outrageous 
rumours  for  serious  truth.  They  have  no  design  to  deceive,  nor  is 
their  false  information  owing  to  debility  of  memory.  Where  the  mind 
is  cool  and  dispassionate,  they  remember  facts  with  as  much  accuracy 
as  other  men.  But  the  truth  seems  to  be,  that  they  are  alarmed;  they 
naturally  turn  their  attention  to  the  coming  danger,  and  make  conjec 
tures  about  it.  These  conjectures,  however  extravagant  or  erroneous, 
form,  after  a  while,  a  necessary  part  in  their  trains  of  thought,  and 
consequently  they  attach  the  same  credit  to  their  correctness  and  accu 
racy.  Whenever  any  facts  are  afterwards  related  to  them,  they,  too, 
are  disposed  in  their  own  minds,  in  the  same  order  with  their  conjec 
tures  ;  and  eventually  the  latter  are  ascribed  to  the  same  author.  These 
remarks  will  account  for  the  incredible  reports,  so  industriously  circu 
lated,  about  Africa's  sooty  children.  It  evidently  follows,  if  this  account 
of  the  case  be  correct,  that  no  moral  reproach  should  be  fastened  on 
those  who  give  currency  to  these  reports.  They  believe  firmly  what 


86  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

they  say.  They  have  '  unto  truth  made  such  sinners  of  their  memory 
as  to  credit  their  own  lie.'  I  know  that  many  censure  them  as  the  pro 
pagators  of  malicious  falsehoods  ;  but  they  should  be  pitied  as  the  dupes 
of  their  fears.  But  enough  of  this  black  subject. 

I  have  talked  about  a  subject  suggested  at  home ;  let  me  now  talk  of 
one  suggested  on  the  road.  I  came  to  Columbia  in  company  with  four 
jolly  fellows,  whose  minds  were  never  strained  with  deep  thinking.  They 
were  constantly  whistling,  singing,  humming  tunes,  or  telling  odd  sto 
ries,  which  they  took  to  be  mighty  witty.  This  circumstance  led  me  to 
reflect  on  the  various  methods  which  men  of  empty  brains  devise  in  order 
to  kill  time.  The  first  I  shall  notice  is  music.  This  seems  to  remove 
the  languor  that  hangs  over  those  whose  minds  are  vacancy  ;  and  it  is 
used,  either  for  this  purpose,  or  as  the  natural  expression  of  a  pleasing 
serenity.  Have  you  never  observed  the  negroes  at  their  daily  task? 
They  sing  ;  and  I  can  only  account  for  it  by  supposing  that  the  hours  are 
dull  and  heavy,  and  they  wish  to  make  them  lighter  ;  or  they  feel  very 
pleasant,  and  wish  to  give  vent  to  their  agreeable  sensations  through  the 
channel  of  music,  which  is  peculiarly  fitted  for  that  purpose.  You  will 
perceive  that  I  am  not  speaking  of  music  as  an  art ;  but  only  of  those  in 
voluntary  strains  which  break  forth  unobserved.  Story-telling  is  a  pas 
time  much  akin  to  music  ;  and  methinks,  should  be  ascribed  to  the  same 
cause.  Works  of  fiction  are  read  by  most  men  for  the  same  purpose. 
It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  general  rule,  that  a  vacant  mind  is  always  at 
hard  work.  In  the  works  of  nature  there  is  nothing  to  amuse  him  who 
cannot  think.  Art  has  110  charms  for  him.  Where,  then,  shall  he  look  for 
pleasure,  for  something  to  dispel  the  stupefying  languor  that  hangs  over 
him  like  a  cloud  ?  Shall  he  turn  to  his  own  internal  treasures  ?  Alas ! 
all  is  emptiness  within !  Poor  wretch !  what  shall  he  do  ?  Whither 
shall  he  turn  ?  In  the  bitterness  of  despair,  he  picks  up  a  novel ;  but 
gathers  not  one  solitary  idea.  He  tries  poetry,  but  his  brain  is  empty 
still.  He  sings,  he  whistles ;  but  time  flies  slowly.  He  rejoices  when 
dinner  comes,  and  is  still  gladder  to  see  the  approach  of  night.  Em 
ployment  of  some  kind,  either  bodily  or  mental,  is  the  only  cure  for 
that  languor  of  which  I  have  already  spoken;  and  happy  is  the  man 
who  has  been  inured  early  to  the  holy  exercise  of  meditation  and 
thought!  Of  that  man  it  may  be  said,  'His  mind  is  his  kingdom.' 
He  alone  can  hold  pleasant  communion  with  his  own  thoughts  in  soli 
tude  and  retirement.  He  possesses  an  inexhaustible  source  of  enter 
tainment  within,  when  everything  without  has  lost  its  power  to  please. 
When  the  period  shall  have  passed  away  in  which  vivid  sensations  of 
pleasure  are  the  sole  objects  of  thought  worthy  of  piarsuit ;  when  every 
thing  around  us  shall  have  lost  its  charms  and  fascinations  ;  when  we 
shall  have  become  unable  to  mingle  in  business  any  longer,  but  must 
forsake  the  haunts  of  men  ;  bitterly  will  we  regret  it  if  we  have  wasted 
the  morning  of  life  without  laying  up  a  rich  fund  of  useful  knowledge. 
I  am  sorry  that  $n  opinion  has  gone  abroad  that  the  acquisition  of 
knowledge  is  not  a  moral  obligation.  To  me  it  appears  a  matter  of 


HIS  CONVERSION.  87 

incumbent  duty.  If  the  love  of  learning  be  natural  to  man  ;  if  he 
has  faculties  suited  to  acquire  it ;  if  there  is  sensible  pleasure  in  the 
discovery  of  truth,  and  proportionate  pain  in  mental  vacuity;  why, 
then,  to  improve  our  minds  is  surely  the  voice  of  nature  and  of  divinity 
speaking  within  us.  To  cultivate  those  qualities  by  which  any  species 
is  distinguished  from  every  other,  constitutes,  says  Aristotle,  the  pecu 
liar  duties  of  every  individual  belonging  to  that  species  ;  and  man  is 
evidently  distinguished  from  every  other  animal,  no  less  by  his  mind 
than  his  heart.  His  intellectual  powers  form  as  striking  characteristics 
as  his  emotions  or  affections.  But  the  opinion  of  the  world  is  quite  at 
variance  with  these  propositions.  Provided  a  man  is  moral,  it  matters 
not  how  uncultivated  may  be  his  mind.  Ignorance  is  not  followed  by 
disgrace,  though  vice  is  attended  with  opprobrium.  For  my  part,  I 
think  it  as  great  a  crime  to  be  a  fool  as  to  b,  e  a  knave,  provided  a  man 
has  the  means  of  improvirfg  himself  in  his  power ;  and  I  think  it,  too,  a 
very  unfortunate  circumstance  that  a  different  opinion  prevails.  It  is 
a  chief  reason  that  we  have  so  few  scholars.  Once  make  it  a  disgrace 
to  be  ignorant,  and  ignorance  will  take  her  flight  for  ever.  But  the 
subject  would  branch  out  to  infinity,  if  I  stop  not  now. 

"  I  shall  offer  for  the  Librarian's  office,  but  have  only  a  faint  hope  of 
success.  I  came  out  entirely  too  late  Under  more  favourable  circum 
stances  the  opposition  would  have  been  quite  sturdy.  If  I  succeed,  I 
shall  try  to  become  a  respectable  scholar. 

"Now  for  the  Southern  Review,  No.  H.  But,  alas,  I  have  no  space 
to  say  anything  of  it,  except  that  there  is  an  able  article  on  Bentham 
and  the  Utilitarians,  written  by  Legare.  I  hope  to  see  the  downfall  of 
that  frigid  system  of  philosophy,  which,  though  not  originated  by  Ben 
tham,  it  has  been  the  warmest  wish  of  his  heart  to  sustain  against  truth 
and  reason.  Bentham  is  an  atheist,  and  his  philosophy  is  no  better 
than  atheism.  It  cramps  the  genius,  freezes  the  vivid  and  glowing  as 
pirations  of  a  young  mind,  and  clips,  with  unsparing  hand,  the  lofty 
flights  of  intellect.  The  article  on  Codification  was  likewise  written  by 
Legare.  Professor  Nott  wrote  the  article  on  French  Novels.  Professor 
Henry  wrote  that  on  Waterhouse's  Junius. 

"  Write  to  me  copiously  and  openly,  as  Soon  as  you  receive  this ;  and 
believe  me, 

Your  friend  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL. '' 

To  the  same: 

"COLUMBIA,  February  2,  1832. 

"MY  DEAREST  FRIEND:  When  I  reflect  upon  my  dreary  and  unpro 
tected  situation  in  this  world  of  cares,  melancholy  and  gloom  impercep 
tibly  steal  upon  my  mind,  and  shroud  it  in  its  own  sable  livery.  The 
ship  of  my  fortunes  is  now  launched  on  the  ocean  of  life ;  her  sails 
flutter  freely  in  the  breeze  ;  but  the  haven  of  my  hopes  is  far  distant, 
and  I  may  perish  in  the  storm,  before  I  can  reach  it  in  safety.  I  am 
now  entering  on  life  with  all  the  ardour  of  youth ;  but  I  may  soon  re- 


88  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

tire  from  it,  sickened  with  the  treachery  of  friends,  or  disgusted  with 
the  malignity  of  enemies.  On  the  other  hand,  I  may  succeed  in  reach 
ing  that  point  of  honourable  distinction  after  which  my  soul  panteth, 
even  as  the  stricken  deer  panteth  for  the  water-brooks.  I  may  die  in 
the  gloomy  vale  of  obscurity,  or  ascend  '  the  steep  where  fame's  proud 
temple  shines  afar.'  I  am  not  foolish  enough  to  dream  of  passing 
through  a  world  where  good  and  evil  hold  a  divided  empire,  without 
tasting  occasionally  the  bitter,  loathsome  mixture  of  vinegar  and  gall. 
Sorrows,  deep,  blighting,  withering  sorrows,  I  expect  to  undergo,  and 
shall,  I  hope,  be  prepared  to  meet  them.  No  matter  what  form  they 
may  assume,  I  am  ready  to  say,  Let  them  come.  If  I  cannot  learn 
from  philosophy  how  to  suffer,  I  can  learn  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  A 
lamp  of  consolation  burns  brightly  on  Mount  Calvary,  which  has  power 
to  cheer  and  illumine  the  darkness  of  woe.  To  suffer  is  the  lot  of  all  ; 
to  suffer  with  dignity,  is  the  characteristic  of  the  philosopher  ;  and  it 
would  seem  to  require  something  of  more  than  human  power  to  meet 
death  or  dire  affliction  with  calmness  and  tranquillity.  But  too  many 
instances  of  philosophical  composure,  under  torturing  severity,  are  on 
record,  to  admit  of  a  doubt  as  to  what  man  can  do  when  he  '  screws  his 
courage  to  the  sticking  place.'  We  should  draw  a  distinction,  however, 
between  mere  obstinacy  and  moral  firmness.  The  Indian  encounters 
*  the  king  of  terrors'  without  a  flinch  or  a  groan  ;  but  it  is  only  the  man 
of  conscious  integrity  who  can  meet  him  with  firmness.  The  difference 
is  this  :  the  one  possesses  strong  nerves  and  the  physical  ability  to  endure 
pain ;  the  .other  is  guided  by  cool  reflection  and  a  sound  philosophy. 
The  brightest  example  of  unyielding  fortitude  which  ever  attracted  the 
wonder  of  the  world,  is  certainly  to  be  found  in  the  bloody  record  of  its 
lledeemer's  death.  He,  in  truth,  died  like  a  God.  Guided  by  His 
brilliant  example,  I  shall  endeavour  to  bear  with  dignity  all  the  sorrows 
with  which  it  may  please  God  to  afflict  me.  Like  the  oak  rent  by  the 
lightning  from  heaven,  I  may  be  scathed  indeed,  but  I  hope  not  bent. 
Let  the  winds  howl  and  the  thunders  roar,  I  shall  endeavour  to  with 
stand  the  pelting  of  the  'pitiless  storm,'  if  not  with  the  grandeur  of  a 
philosopher,  '  at  least  with  the  firmness  of  a  man.' 

' '  But  more  men  are  able  to  endure  sorrow  with  fortitude  than  bear 
prosperity  with  moderation  and  dignity.  Where  fortune  smiles  upon 
their  efforts,  men  are  apt  to  become  maddened  by  their  own  success. 
They  manifest  their  gratitude  to  a  kind  Providence,  by  a  dismissal  of  their 
understandings.  Seat  them  quietly  in  the  lap  of  prosperity,  and  there 
are  some  men  who  will  not  fail  to  put  on  the  cap  of  fools.  Intoxicated 
with  unexpected  happiness,  they  sacrifice  their  reason  at  the  altar  of 
folly.  Look  upon  the  world,  and  see  how  few  can  bear  to  be  prosperous ; 
how  few  can  retain  their  understandings,  when  the  gale  of  good  fortune 
blows  favourably  upon  them.  It  is  my  wish,  therefore,  to  temper  my 
mind  with  such  discretion,  that  all  shall  go  well,  whether  I  am  rocked 
in  the  cradle  of  prosperity,  or  chilled  with  the  winter  blasts  of  adversity. 
I  wish  to  train  myself  in  such  a  manner,  that  I  can  rest  undisturbed  on 


HIS  CONVERSION.  89 

n  bed  of  down  or  a  pillow  of  thorns.  I  may  fail,  however,  in  my  efforts  ; 
if  so,  it  will  be  the  weakness  of  humanity.  All  my  hopes,  soaring  as 
they  are,  may  eventually  prove  to  be  baseless  as  a  vision's  fabric  ;  if  so, 
it  will  be  because  I  cannot  use  proper  means  to  accomplish  my  ends. 
Happiness  is  my  aim  ;  it  is  the  object  of  all  men ;  they  pursue  it  with 
avidity,  but  most  of  them  catch  only  a  few  crumbs  as  they  fall  from  her 
table.  I  am  philosopher  enough  to  know  that  happiness,  like  gold,  can 
never  be  obtained,  if  regarded  as  the  primary  object  of  pursuit.  We 
must  seek  it  through  the  intervention  of  some  medium,  as  we  seek 
money  through  the  medium  of  labour.  None  but  an  alchemist  ever 
dreamed  of  getting  the  precious  ore  without  '  hard  toil  and  spare 
meals ;'  and  none  but  a  downright  castle-builder  ever  thought  for  a 
moment  of  becoming  happy,  without  placing  happiness  in  some  par 
ticular  object.  It  does  not  exist  of  itself ;  it  is  a  mode,  a  quality  of  other 
things,  as  heat  is  a  quality  of  fire,  or  odour  of  roses.  It  exists  in  them, 
and  it  is  to  be  extracted  from  them,  like  oil  from  a  vegetable.  It  is 
plain,  therefore,  that  a  preliminary  step  in  our  inquiry  after  happiness, 
is  to  ascertain  in  what  particular  things  happiness  exists  ;  next,  how  we 
are  to  obtain  these  things  ;  and  a  third  step,  of  equal  importance,  is, 
after  we  have  obtained  the  things,  how  are  we  to  make  them  subservient 
to  our  happiness.  These  three  preliminary  inquiries  should  be  made  a 
matter  of  serious,  deliberate  reflection,  by  every  young  man  about  to 
enter  on  the  busy  scenes  of  life.  They  are  all-important,  and  he  who 
neglects  them  is  a  traitor  to  his  own  interests.  He  cannot  be  said  to 
act  in  life,  who  proceeds  upon  no  regular,  digested  system  of  conduct ; 
he  does  not  act,  he  is  driven  along  by  the  force  of  circumstances  ;  and  is 
entitled  to  no  credit  for  his  actions,  how  meritorious  soever  they  may 
be. 

' '  Some  men  place  happiness  in  wealth,  and  consequently  strain  every 
nerve,  muscle,  and  fibre  in  order  to  become  rich.  Others  place  it  in  po 
litical  power ;  and  some  make  an  awful  shipwreck  of  their  fortunes  on 
the  rock  of  ambition.  Some  seek  it  in  haunts  of  dissipation  and  '  un 
godly  glee,'  and  vex,  with  their  impious  mirth,  'the  drowsy  ear  of 
night.'  The  truth  is,  there  are  almost  as  many  different  opinions  on 
this  subject  as  there  are  men  in  the  world.  It  is  plain  that  there  are 
three  distioct  sources  of  enjoyment— sense,  the  mind,  the  heart.  There 
are,  consequently,  sensual,  intellectual,  moral,  and  religious  pleas 
ures.  It  is  in  a  skilful  selection,  and  a  just  combination  of  these,  that 
the  great  secret  of  true  felicity  consists.  Some  sensual  pleasures  are  to 
be  avoided ;  some  intellectual  pleasures  are  to  be  enjoyed  with  care. 
Here,  judgment  and  philosophy  must  come  to  our  assistance  ;  and  he 
who  trusts  to  anything  but  these,  builds  his  house  upon  a  sandy  founda 
tion.  As  to  what  particular  objects  are  best  calculated  to  afford  these 
pleasures,  every  man  must  be  his  own  judge,  and  must  suit  his  own  par 
ticular  desires,  provided  that  they  be  not  criminal.  Rules  may  be  laid 
down  ;  they  may  be  gathered  from  experience  and  reflection.  All  hap 
piness,  then,  maybe  summed  up  :  1.  A  sound  body  ;  2.  A  sound  mind; 


90  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

3.  A  sound  heart.  Much  as  I  esteem  and  venerate  the  awful  majesty  of 
virtue,  I  have  not  declaimed  so  pompously,  as  some  moralists  would 
have  done,  on  the  imens  sibi  conscia  recti,'  the  approving  smiles  of  the 
conscience  ;  because  there  are  other  pleasures  equally  indispensable  to 
happiness.  I  grant  that  a  wicked  man  cannot  be  happy  ;  neither  can  a 
man  tortured  with  a  fit  of  the  gout.  Say  what  you  will,  happiness  is- 
pleasure.  It  consists  in  the  possession  of  agreeable  objects  ;  and  twist 
it  as  you  will,  you  can  make  nothing  more  of  it.  By  arbitrary  defini 
tions,  you  can  make  it  consist  in  anything  ;  but  I  speak  of  it  as  it  is 
usually  understood  ;  and  I  think  the  remarks  I  have  made  on  it  are  just. 
You  can  easily  conceive,  therefore,  by  what  compass  I  shall  direct  my 
course.  Such  sensual  pleasures  as  my  comfort  requires,  I  shall  not 
hesitate  to  enjoy.  My  intellectual  pleasures  shall  be  as  extensive  and  as 
elevated  as  I  can  make  them.  My  moral  pleasures  shall  consist  in  un 
wavering  integrity  and  an  ardent  love  of  virtue  ;  and  my  religious  pleas 
ures,  in  an  humble  love  of  God,  a  fervent  adoration  of  Him,  and  a 
firm  reliance  on  His  goodness,  and  the  benevolence  of  my  Kedeemer, 
together  with  a  penitent  sorrow  for  my  errors  and  infirmity.  Thus  I 
hope  to  be  as  happy  as  human  weakness  will  permit ;  and  thus,  too,  I 
have  unfolded  to  you  the  general  principles  by  which  my  life 'shall  be 
guided. 

"  At  present,  I  am  somewhat  cramped  for  want  of  money,  but  hope  to 
struggle  through  my  difficulties.  My  prospects  are  not  very  bright. 
The  season  was  too  far  advanced  to  do  much ;  next  fall  will  be  the  time 
for  me  to  do  well.  I  am  halting  between  two  opinions,  whether  to  write 
or  not,  for  the  Review.  If  I  succeed,  it  would  be  a  source  of  emolu 
ment  ;  if  I  failed,  of  deep  and  thrilling  mortification.  I  am  so  little 
satisfied  with  my  own  composition,  that  I  can  hardly  persuade  myself 
others  would  derive  from  it  either  instruction  or  amusement.  But 
whatever  I  conclude  to  do,  I  shall  let  you  know.  As  to  the  prize  tale,  I 
am  by  no  means  enamoured  of  the  idea  of  being  called  a  tale-teller ; 
yet  the  money,  if  I  could  get  it,-  would  be  acceptable.  I  have  a  notion 
of  writing  an  article  on  eccentricity,  for  the  North  American  Review, 
and  on  Herschel's  philosophy,  for  the  Southern;  but  like  many  other 
projects,  may  fail  to  execute  them.  Have  given  out  all  idea  of  estab 
lishing  a  Literary.  In  these  days  of  political  excitement  such  an  attempt 
would  be  hopeless. 

"  Your  friend,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

The  experience  of  three  months  was  sufficient  to  de 
monstrate  the  impossibility  of  remaining  longer  a  resident 
graduate  in  the  College,  upon  the  scanty  and  contingent 
support  upon  which  he  must  there  rely.  In  the  month  of 
April,  accordingly,  we  find  him  removed  to  the  town  of 
Sumterville.  It  is  better,  however,  that  the  story  should 


HIS  CONVERSION.  9l 

be  told  in  his  own  words,  in  the  progress  of  his  corres 
pondence  with  his  friend,  Mr.  A.  H.  Pegues.  In  fact, 
we  have  preferred  not  to  curtail  the  letters  written  at  this 
period,  in  order  that  the  reader  may  trace  the  process  by 
which  both  his  mind  and  character  crystallized  into  final 
shape.  Interesting  as  these  letters  are,  and  clearly  above 
the  level  of  the  correspondence  usual  at  his  age,  they  still 
bear  evident  marks  of  immaturity  ;  in  the  crudeness  some 
times  of  his  generalizations ;  in  the  cast  of  some  of  the 
opinions,  which  were  largely  remoulded  in  after  years,  and 
a  certain  ambitiousness  and  egotism  of  tone,  from  which 
he  became  subsequently  most  remarkably  free.  The 
truth  is,  extraordinary  as  his  powers  were  from  the  be 
ginning,  Dr.  Thornwell  in  every  respect  matured  slowly. 
He  was  not,  at  this  time,  even  physically  grown ;  and 
there  is,  perhaps,  a  closer  connexion  than  we  ordinarily 
suppose  between  the  complete  expansion  of  the  body  and 
the  perfect  development  of  the  mind.  We  shall  reach  a 
period,  about  three  years  later,  when  the  whole  man  un 
dergoes  a  stupendous  transformation,  and  comes  out  the 
perfect  crystal,  which  he  afterwards  remained,  without  any 
change  beyond  the  deepening  of  the  channel  of  his 
thoughts,  and  the  constant  mellowing  of  his  character. 
His  present  letters  are  to  be  read,  as  exhibiting  his  period 
of  growth,  of  which  the  change  referred  to  above  was  the 
completing  touch.  But  to  the  correspondence. 

"  SUMTERVILLE,  April  19,  1832. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  About  two  hours  ago,  I  received  your  generous, 
letter  ;  and  now  am  about,  not  so  much  to  reply  to  it,  as  to  give  a  loose 
to  the  current  of  my  own  thoughts.  You  will  perceive  that  I  have  re 
moved  to  Sumterville,  and  will,  no  doubt,  be  anxious  to  know  the  why 
and  wherefore.  I  found  that,  in  Columbia,  my  prospects  waned  with 
the  waning  year.  So  I  began  to  feel  tolerably  uneasy.  Two  weeks  ago 
I  was  invited  here  to  take  charge  of  a  school,  but  the  inducement  was. 
•not  sufficiently  strong.  I  found,  however,  that  I  could  get  a  private 
class,  yielding  me  between  four  and  six  hundred  dollars  a  year ;  and  Mr. 
Richardson,  a  friend  of  mine,  was  anxious  for  me  to  stay.  He  has  a 
splendid  library,  and  I  myself  have  a  very  good  one.  So  upon  the 
whole,  I  concluded  to  become  a  resident  of  Sumterville.  I  have  not 


92  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

lost  the  main  benefit  which  I  enjoyed  in  College,  to  wit,  the  conversa 
tion  of  Professor  Henry  ;   for  I  now  correspond  with  him. 

"When  I  first  arrived  here,  I  was  seized  with  a  fit  of  dejection  and 
melancholy,  which  neither  the  precepts  of  philosophy  nor  the  injxmctions 
of  religion  were  able  to  subdue.  I  felt  myself  a  solitary  hermit  amid 
the  humming  multitude  around  me.  Poor,  desolate  and  friendless, 
what  could  I  find  to  cheer  my  drooping  soul,  to  rouse  my  flagging 
spirits  ?  I  felt  my  situation  with  a  sensitive  acuteness  that  had  almost 
completely  prostrated  the  faculties  of  my  mind.  Poverty,  disappoint 
ment,  and  misfortune,  like  the  blighting  influence  of  a  mildew  blast, 
had  withered  all  my  energies  and  smothered  all  my  hopes.  The  clear, 
blue  sky  was  indeed  above  me,  the  sun  was  moving  in  its  majesty,  and 
the  day  shining  forth  in  its  splendour  ;  but  the  brilliant  prospects  of  fu 
ture  bliss,  which  in  by-gone  days  could  play  before  my  fancy,  had  van- 
ishe'd  for  ever,  and,  '  like  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision,  left  not  a  trace 
behind.'  My  soul  was  wrapped  in  the  darkness  of  midnight,  and 
brooded  over  its  fallen  felicity,  as  the  'vindictive  malice  of  a  monk' 
would  dwell  upon  its  schemes  of  anticipated  vengeance.  The  future 
seemed  enveloped  in  dark  and  lowering  clouds,  those  sable  precursors 
-of  a  coming  storm  ;  and  from  every  scathed  oak  I  could  hear,  in  fancy, 
the  ominous  croakings  of  the  raven.  But  there  is  a  balm  in  Gilead 
to  soothe  the  agonies  of  a  wounded  spirit.  There  is  a  holy  influence  in 
Time  to  cure  the  sternest  malady  of  the  soul.  When  philosophy,  with 
all  her  wisdom,  proves  of  no  avail ;  when  religion  herself  fails,  with  all 
her  promises  of  future  retribution,  to  heal  our  sorrows ;  the  mercy  of 
heaven  has  provided  a  cure  in  the  lapse  of  time.  It  is  the  great  physi 
cian  of  all  our  woes.  Many  a  tear  has  it  wiped  from  the  widow's  cheek, 
many  a  sorrow  from  the  orphan's  heart.  To  its  healing  influence,  the 
melancholy  feelings  which  have  stifled  my  enjoyment,  have  at  length 
given  way,  and  'Kichard  is  himself  again.'  Time,  too,  will  efface  from 
your  bosom  the  gloomy  emotions  in  which  you  indulge.  Harrowing 
scenes  have  recently  disturbed  the  serenity  of  your  mind  ;  but  when 
their  recollection  shall  have  ceased  to  be  so  vivid,  you  will  then  return 
to  your  former  tranquillity.  This  now  seems  to  be  beyond  the  pale  of 
probability  ;  but  consult  the  experience  of  your  race,  and  you  will  no 
longer  be  a  skeptic.  It  is  an  awful  thing  to  part  for  ever  from  those 
whom  we  love  ;  and  in  reading  your  letter,  I  felt  myself  the  gloom  which 
.overshadowed  you,  when  you  bade  an  eternal  farewell  to  a  beloved  sister. 
*  *  *  * 

"Since  I  wrote  to  you  before,  I  have  read  Sir  James  Mackintosh's 
view  of  the  progress  of  Ethical  Philosophy.  It  is  a  work  in  which  a 
great  deal  of  learning  is  exhibited  ;  but  still  it  is  exceedingly  defective. 
As  a  history  of  Ethical  Philosophy,  it  is  quite  incomplete,  as  some  very 
distinguished  writers  on  that  subject  have  been  entirely  overlooked. 
On  the  writers  that  he  does  notice,  his  remarks  are  sometimes  inge 
nious,  but  always  confused.  It  is  plain  that  he  had  no  settled  and  clear 
ideas  of  his  subject.  He  wrote  in  great  haste  ;  and  sometimes,  it  would 


HIS  CONVERSION.  \)6 

seem,  actually  laboured  only  to  fill  a  certain 'quantity  of  paper  with  a 
certain  quantity  of  words.  His  idea  that  conscience  is  not  a  simple,  ulti 
mate  principle  of  our  nature,  but  secondary  and  derivative,  is  very  fee 
bly  supported.  When  he  enters  on  that  point  he  talks  in  mysticisms. 
If  I  had  time,  I  would  give  you  a  copious  analysis  of  the  book ;  but 
must  reserve  that  for  another  occasion. 

"  I  am  a  harder  student  than  ever.  Day  and  night  I  toil  at  my  books, 
or  indulge  in  my  own  speculations.  I  write,  too,  a  great  deal  in  the 
papers.  I  have  written  on  various  subjects.  I  wrote  a  satirical  review 
of  the  article  in  the  Southern  Review  on  American  Literature,  for  the 
Columbia  Hive.  I  wrote  one  piece  on  Duelling,  and  another  on  Utility, 
for  the  Southern  Whio;  and  I  have  now  in  the  press  a  pamphlet,  which 
will  consist  of  about  thirty  pages,  on  Nullification.  It  will  be  published 
in  May.  Part  of  it  has  already  appeared  in  the  Columbia  Hive,  in  a 
series  of  numbers,  signed  '  Clio. '  I  shall  send  you  a  copy  as  soon  as  it 
is  published ;  but  of  course  you  will  keep  my  name,  as  the  author,  a 
secret.  I  think  it  contains  some  strong  arguments  against  Nullification. 
I  do  not  know  the  causes  that  brought  about  the  failure  of  the  Southern 
Review.  Write  soon. 

"Your  sincere  friend  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THOENWELL." 

To  the  same: 

"  SUMTEBVILLE,  April  29,  1832. 

"MY  DEAR  FBIEND  :  In. my  last  letter,  I  promised  you  that  my  next 
should  contain  a  general  and  cursory  review  of  Sir  James  Mackintosh's 
'View  of  the  Progress  of  Ethical  Philosophy.'  That  promise  I  shall 
not  now  fulfil,  inasmuch  as  I  am  preparing  an  article  on  the  subject, 
which  you  may  have  the  pain  of  perusing  in  print.  Richardson  and 
myself  design  establishing  a  literary  paper  in  this  place,  if  we  can  pro 
cure  a  sufficient  number  of  subscribers  to  warrant  the  undertaking.  If 
we  succeed,  the  first  number  will  appear  in  June.  It  is  to  be  published 
every  fortnight,  and  each  number  will  contain  twenty  pages,  and  all 
will  be  original  matter,  prepared  either  by  ourselves  or  by  our  corres 
pondents.  Politics,  and  everything  but  literature,  will  be  religiously 
excluded.  It  will  consist  chiefly  of  reviews,  essays,  moral  and  philo 
sophical,  and  original  poetry.  We  propose  to  call  it  ''The  /Southern 
Essayist.1  It  will  be  printed  in  octavo  form,  and  on  fine  paper.  The 
price  will  be  three  dollars  a  year  in  advance.  Richardson  owns  the 
press,  and  of  course  will  be  the  avowed  editor.  We  will  give  a  grave 
and  dignified  tone  to  our  paper,  and  it  will  be  supported  by  able  corres 
pondents.  I  think  that,  if  South  Carolina  could  not  support  the  South 
ern  Review,  she  can  uphold  our  literary  journal.  Literature  flows  in 
fountains  at  the  North,  and  here  we  have  not  even  a  refreshing  rivulet. 
It  is  a  blot  on  our  character,  a  stain  on  the  fair  escutcheon  of  the  South. 
I  have  engaged  to  furnish  for  each  number  at  least  five  pages.  Some 
times,  of  course,  I  will  write  more.  I  suppose  that  I  will  average  two 


94  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

hundred  pages  a  year.  Ibis  will  be  a  pretty  decent  volume.  My  first 
article  will  be  a  review  of  Sir  James  Mackintosh,  which  I  shall  labour 
with  a  great  deal  of  care.  The  main  point  to  which  I  shall  confine  my 
attention,  is  the  simplicity  of  the  moral  sense.  Sir  James  contends  that 
it  is  a  compound  faculty.  I  shall  attempt  to  show  that  his  arguments 
are  inconclusive  ;  and  that  it  is  a  simple,  original  ultimate  law  of  the 
human  constitution.  If  our  paper  should  not  succeed,  I  will  extend  the 
article  into  a  more  detailed  review  of  the  whole  book,  and  send  it  to  the 
North  American. 

You  will  plainly  perceive  that  I  have  as  little  relish  as  ever  for  a  quiet 
obscurity.  My  dreams  of  hope,  and  visions  of  fame,  are  as  airy  as  they 
used  to  be  in  by-gone  days  ;  and  many  an  aspiration  have  I  poured  forth 
in  the  lonely  forest,  or  at  the  dead  and  solemn  hoar  of  midnight.  To 
die  unknown,  unhonoured,  and  unsung,  like  the  wild  beast  of  the  field, 
I  hope  in  God  may  never  be  my  gloomy  fate.  When  we  walk  into  our 
church-yards,  among  the  numberless  tombs  with  which  we  meet,  how 
few  bear  any  other  memorial  of  their  dead  than  that  they  lived  and 
died.  They  have  left  us  no  traces  of  profound  thought,  or  illustrious 
achievements,  to  attract  our  attention,  or  inspire  our  ambition.  They 
have  lived  and  died ;  they  have  done  merely  what  every  brute  must  do ; 
and  that,  too,  without  their  own  consent.  If  no  other  monument  could 
have  been  erected  to  their  memories  ;  if  they  have,  indeed,  derogated 
from  the  dignity  of  their  nature,  and  been  silent  to  the  clarion  of  fame, 
better,  far  better,  that  no  stone  should  point  the  traveller  to  the  spot  of 
their  entombment,  than  that .  this  worst  of  satires,  which  records  only 
the  time  of  their  birth  and  the  period  of  their  death,  should  ever  have 
been  imposed  on  them.  For  my  own  part,  I  can  truly  say,  that 

"  '  With  me,  nor  pomp,  nor  pleasure, 

Bourbon's  might,  Braganza's  treasure, 

So  can  fancy's  dream  rejoice, 

So  conciliate  reason's  choice, 
As  one  approving  word  of  fame's  impartial  voice.' 

' '  But  by  fame  I  mean  the  esteem  of  the  wise  and  good,  not  the  puff  of 
a  dunce,  or  the  noisy  acclamation  of  a  crowd.  Fame,  or  rather  love  of 
fame,  becomes  dangerous,  when  we  make  it,  instead  of  a  regard  to  duty, 
the  ruling  principle  of  action.  It  should  be  always  kept  in  proper  sub 
jection  to  more  exalted  sentiments.  Let  it  spur  us  to  generous  achieve 
ments,  but  never  to  a  departure  from  the  straight  road  of  moral  recti 
tude.  A  permanent  reputation  must  be  based  on  a  permanent  founda 
tion  ;  and  what  is  so  enduring  as  real  excellence,  whether  of  mind  or 
heart  ?  But  I  am  drawing  to  the  bottom  of  my  paper.  I  have  a  dollar 
which  is  burning  in  my  pocket ;  and  which  is  extremely  anxious  to  be 
spent  for  a  letter  from  you,  consisting  of  four  or  five  sheets.  '  I  hope 
my  lonely  dollar  may  not  be  disappointed. 

"  Your  warm  and  sincere  friend, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 


HIS  CONVERSION.  95 

The  literary  projects  detailed  in  this  letter,  doubtless 
fell  through  for  want  of  sufficient  patronage,  as  no  refer 
ence  is  made  to  them  in  subsequent  correspondence.  'But 
whilst  his  mind  was  occupied  with  these  studies  and 
schemes,  the  most  important  event  .of  his  life  occurred, 
which  changed  the  whole  complexion  of  his  career.  On 
the  13th  of  May,  he  united  witli  the  Concord  Presbyterian 
Church,  a  fewr  miles  below  Sumterville,  at  that  time  under 
the  pastoral  charge  of  the  Rev.  John  McEwen.  This 
date  is  accurately  determined  by  the  following  brief,  but 
touching  prayer,  which  has  floated  down  to  us  upon  a 
single  leaf,  wiien  other  and  larger  productions  of  his  pen 
have  perished  through  the  ravages  of  time.  The  prayer 
is  as  follows : 

"  O  God !  I  have  to-day  made  a  public  profession  of 
my  faith  in  the  blessed  Redeemer,  and  taken  upon  me  the 
solemn  covenant  of  the  Church.  I  would  not  impute  to 
myself  any  merit  011  this  account,  as  I  have  only  done,  and 
that,  too,  after  a  long  delay,  what  was  expressly  enjoined 
on  me  in  Thy  Holy  Word.  But,  O  God !  I  feel  myself 
a  weak,  fallen,  depraved,  and  helpless  creature,  and  utterly 
unable  to  do  one  righteous  deed  without  Thy  gracious  as 
sistance.  Wilt  Thou,  therefore,  send  upon  me  Thy 
cheering  Spirit,  to  illume  for  me  the  path  of  duty ;  and  to 
uphold  me,  when  I  grow  weary ;  to  refresh  me,  when  I 
faint ;  to  support  me  against  the  violence  of  temptation 
and  the  blandishments  of  vice.  Let  me,  I  beseech  Thee, 
please  Thee  in  thought,  word  and  deed.  Enable  me  to 
go  on  to  perfection,  support  me  in  death,  and  finally  save 
me  in  Thy  kingdom ;  and  to  the  glorious  Three-in-one  be 
ascribed  all  the  praise.  Amen. 

"  SUMTERVILLE,  May  13,  1832." 

Not  a  line  more,  delineating  the  spiritual  exercises 
through  which  he  was  led  to  this  eventful  decision,  which 
involved,  as  will  presently  appear,  an  immediate  and  un 
shaken  consecration  of  himself  to  the  work  of  the  ministry. 


96  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

Happily,  however,  a  ray  of  light  is  cast  back  upon  this 
portion  of  his  religious  history,  from  words  uttered  in  after 
years;  which  will  greatly  assist  in  comprehending  what 
would  otherwise  be  obscure.  One  of  his  divinity  students- 
relates  this  conversation,  which  he  was  at  pains  to  jot  down 
within  a  few  hours  after  it  was  held.  "  Ought  we  to  be 
able  to  point  out  the  exact  time  of  conversion?"  "Not 
necessarily ;  the  substantive  change  of  heart,  that  is,  the 
actual  change,  is  probably  momentary.  There  is  a  time 
in  which  the  man  is  passive ;  that  is,  when  the  Spirit  is 
implanting  the  new  nature.  But  the  phenomenal  change, 
or  the  development,  the  manifestation  of  that  new  nature, 
is  very  different  in  different  persons,  and  in  some  it  is 
very  slow,  and  not  perceived  by  the  man  himself  for  some 
time."  "What,  Dr.  Thornwell,  was  your  own  expe 
rience?"  "My  own  experience,"  he  replied,  "was  the 
most  mysterious  thing  I  know  of.  From  a  boy,  I  wras 
so  constituted  that  I  could  rest  in  no  opinion,  unless  I  saw 
the  first  principles  on  which  it  hung,  and  into  which  it 
could  be  resolved.  I  was  religiously  brought  up ;  but, 
even  when  ten  years  old,  was  always  trying  to  reconcile 
the  difficulties  of  religion,  such  as  free-agency  and  the 
like.  When  at  school,  this  left  me  to  some  extent.  When 
I  went  to  College,  I  was  under  Dr.  Cooper ;  but  read  the 
Bible  through,  and  became  convinced  as  to  the  nature  of 
God's  plan  of  salvation.  In  the  Senior  year,  I  became 
strongly  convinced  of  sin.  But  God  never  had  a  more 
rebellious  subject.  Feeling  guilty,  condemned,  and  mis 
erable,  I  was  determined  to  fight  it  out  to  the  last,  that  it 
was  not  my  fault,  and  that  I  was  born  without  any  agency 
or  consent  of  my  own,  &c.  Then  I  thought  I  had  com 
mitted  the  unpardonable  sin ;  and  for  three  months  scarcely 
slept,  and  would  sometimes  drink  liquor  for  the  purpose 
of  drowning  these  convictions.  In  my  childhood,  no  one 
ever  suspected  that  I  had  such  feelings.  At  last,  light 
began  gradually  to  break  in  upon  me ;  and  by  degrees  I 
came  out,  as  I  believe,  a  Christian.  Now  I  stand  firmly 


HIS  CONVERSION.  97 

on  the  Bible;  and  when  bewildered  by  skepticism,  I  can 
still  say  that  I  believe  God  is  righteous,  and  Christ  is  a 
Saviour;  whether  for  me  or  not,  I  sometimes  doubt;  but 
never  doubt  the  truth  of  His  word,  that  l  God  is  in  Christ, 
reconciling  the  world  unto  Himself.' "  Recurring  again 
to  this  subject  of  his  mental  conflict,  he  adds :  "  I  can 
take  you  to  the  very  spot,  where  I  stood  and  gnashed  my 
teeth,  and  raised  my  hand,  and  said,  'Well,  I  shall  be 
damned,  but  I  will  demonstrate  to  the  assembled  universe 
that  I  am  not  to  blame.  God  made  me  as  I  am,  and  I 
can't  help  my  wickedness.'  The  next  thing  I  knew,  when 
I  felt  myself  a  Christian,  was  that  to  go  to  Christ  was  so 
simple  and  easy,  that  I  thought  I  could  show  anybody 
how  to  do  it,  and  be  saved." 

The  series  of  facts,  thus  far  developed,  seems  to  be : 
that  he  was  originally  endowed  with  strong  religious  sus 
ceptibilities ;  that  these  were  deeply  impressed  by  the  in 
fluence  and  teachings  of  a  pious  mother ;  so  that,  at  the 
age  of  ten  years,  he  discussed  the  high  problems  of  "  fate 
and  free  will,"  and  became  the  partisan  of  views  against 
which  his  heart  rebels.  This  religious  interest  continues 
to  ebb  and  flow,  until,  at  sixteen,  we  find  him  prepared  to 
surrender  advantages  and  friendships  dearly  prized,  rather 
than  commit  himself  to  a  life  work  other  than  advocating 
the  claims  of  Christianity.  At  College  he  is  brought 
suddenly  in  contact  with  opinions  antagonistic  to  those 
he  had  hitherto  cherished.  Curiosity  is  aroused.  With 
almost  the  love  of  romantic  adventure,  he  rushes  into  the 
battle,  where  a  keen  and  subtle  dialectic  must  supply  the 
weapons  of  assault  and  defence.  He  delivers  himself 
forthwith  from  the  web  of  materialism,  in  which  he  was 
first  in  danger  of  being  ensnared  by  his  "idol,"  Dr. 
Cooper.  He  pushes  the  investigation  forward,  under  an 
impulse  which  appears  to  be,  and,  doubtless,, predomi 
nantly  was,  a  purely  speculative  interest,  until  his  mind 
is  settled,  upon  the  truth  of  Christianity.  With  an  in 
tellectual  conviction  which  was  never  afterwards  seriously 


98  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

disturbed,  he  accepts  the  doctrines  of  the  fall  of  man, 
and  of  recovery  by  grace  alone.  We  quote  again  his  own 
language,  used  of  his  experience  at  this  period:  "  Whether 
man  looks  within  or  without  himself,  the  evidences  of  ca 
fall'  are  overwhelming.  But  where  did  he  fall?  In 
Adam,  as  a  federal  head;  for  Paul  makes  death  and  sin 
co-extensive,  on  which  theory  alone  the  death  of  infants 
can  be  accounted  for.  If  you  take  this  doctrine  from  me, 
I  would  hold  the  super-mundane  theory,  that  at  some 
former  time,  in  some  former  state,  now  forgotten  by  us, 
we  each  had  a  trial  and  fall  for  himself.  Certain  it  is, 
that  man  is  a  darkened  picture  of  what  he  once  was." 

The  reader  will  perceive  that,  in  the  terrific  conflict 
which  subsequently  took  place,  he  does  not  waver  for  an 
instant  upon  any  of  these  points.  When  brought  under 
a  sense  of  guilt,  both  in  College  and  afterwards,  he  does 
not  dispute  the  fact  of  "  the  fall,"  nor  of  the  estate  of  sin 
and  misery,  into  which  the  descendants  of  Adam  are  in 
troduced.  His  spiritual  conflict  turned  upon  the  admis- 
ision  of  all  this,  and  his  proud  will  resists  the  righteous 
ness  of  the  procedure.  The  precise  moment,  therefore,  of 
the  great  change,  when,  to  use  his  own  language,  "the 
ne\v  nature  was  implanted,"  we  suppose  to  be  the  moment 
when,  by  the  gracious  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  his 
heart,  this  conflict  ceased ;  and  he  wras  enabled  to  see  and 
appreciate  the  completeness  of  redemption  by  Jesus 
Christ,  and  of  salvation  by  faith  in  His  blood.  It  is  of 
no  consequence  to  determine  when,  nor  how,  this  was 
manifested  to  his  own  consciousness,  or  was  reflectively 
placed  before  him  as  an  object  of  knowledge.  That 
"phenomenal  change"  was,  doubtless,  in  his  case,  very 
gradually  wrought;  the  truth  dawned  upon  him  by  degrees. 
This  explains  how,  at  least,  he  passes  quietly  and  unex 
pectedly  into  the  Church,  without  record  of  any  special 
exercises  of  soul.  The  great  battle  had  already  been 
fought,  the  victory  had  previously  been  won  by  Divine 
grace,  and  nothing  remained,  at  this  stage,  but  the  dis- 


HIS  CONVERSION.  99 

co very  of  the  fact  to  himself,  and  the  ripening  of  all  into 
the  final  decision.  It  is  the  key  also  to  much  of  his  re 
maining  history ;  for  even  now,  although  in  the  commu 
nion  of  the  Church,  his  religious  experience  is  but  par 
tially  developed,  and  he  matures  very  slowly  into  the  full 
proportion  of  a  Christian.  His  religious  impressions,  at 
this  time,  were  not  regarded  by  others  as  deep;  and  his 
various  addresses  delivered  now  are  represented  as  having 
more  of  the  flavour  of  philosophy  than  of  the  gospel.  In 
his  letters,  too,  of  which  the  reader  will  presently  have  a 
specimen,  there  is  more  of  the  sentiment  of  religion  than 
of  its  spiritual  power  over  the  heart.  In  fact,  the  free 
Spirit  of  God  chooses  His  own  avenue  of  approach  to 
every  human  soul ;  and  the  way  by  which  we  are  severally 
led  to  Christ  forms  sometimes  an  important  part  of  pre 
paration  for  our  future  life  work.  This  man  was  clearly 
raised  up  to  be,  in  his  day,  an  eminent  champion  for  the 
truth ;  and  the  sovereign  Spirit  chose  to  approach  his 
heart  chiefly  through  the  door  of  the  understanding. 
Before  any  experimental  acquaintance  was  had  with  the 
gospel,  it  was  lodged  firmly  in  his  judgment  as  a  glorious 
system  of  truth.  This  gave  to  his  experience,  especially 
at  the  outset,  a  predominantly  intellectual  cast.  His 
convictions  as  to  the  truths  of  Christianity,  if  they  did  not 
overbear,  at  least,  obscured  from  view  the  movements  of 
the  affections.  There  was  not,  at  first,  a  proportional 
development  of  the  mind  and  heart.  This  remained  to 
be  accomplished  by  and  by.  The  reader  will  not,  of 
course,  construe  these  statements  into  a  divorce  between 
the  understanding  and  the  affections,  in  the  act  of  con 
version;  only,  that  in  all  stages  of  Christian  experience 
the  two  are  not  always  fully  co-ordinated,  which  is  the 
great  business  to  be  achieved  in  our  progress  in  sanctifi- 
cation. 

On  this  point,  there  is  nothing  better  than  Dr.  Thorn- 
well's  own  analysis  of  religion,  when,  in  conversation,  he 
described  it  as  "  a  state  of  heart  which  holds  knowledge 


100  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

and  affection  in  solution,  not  successively,  but  in  unity. 
If  you  take  away  the  affection,  you  have  only  dogmatism  ; 
if  you  take  away  knowledge,  you  have  a  mere  spiritual 
ism,  a  mere  fancy,  an  idolatry.  If  you  preach  doctrine 
to  a  Christian,  the  affection  springs  spontaneously  on  the 
apprehension  of  the  doctrine;  if  you  preach  the  affection 
to  him,  he  will  immediately,  and,  perhaps  unconsciously, 
hitch  it  on  the  doctrine ;  and  this  endorses  the  maxim  that 
we  ought  to  preach  our  doctrine  practically,  and  our 
practice  doctrinally."  A  more  formal  exposition  of  the 
same  idea  is  given  by  him  elsewhere,  in  these  clear  and 
beautiful  terms :  "  The  form  of  Christian  knowledge  is  love  \ 
it  is  a  higher  energy  than  bare  speculation ;  it  blends 
into  indissoluble  unity,  intelligence,  and  emotion;  knows- 
by  loving,  and  loves  by  knowing.  The  mind  sees  not 
only  the  reality  of  truth,  but  its  beauty  and  glory ;  it  so 
sees  as  to  make  it  feel ;  the  perceptions  are  analogous  to 
those  of  the  right  and  beautiful,  in  which  feeling  exactly 
expresses  the  intellectual  energy." 

But  we  pass  from  this  to  his  correspondence,  in  which 
he  reveals  the  change  which  has  taken  place  to  his  friend^ 
Mr.  A.  H.  Pegues. 

"  SUMTERVII/LE,  June  25,  1832. 

"My  DEAR  FRIEND:  *  *  *  Since  you  heard  from  me,  a  great,, 
yea,  an  important  change  has  taken  place  in  my  condition.  I  have  at 
tached  myself  to  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  shall  commence  next 
year  the  study  of  Divinity.  Two  years  ago,  who  would  have  thought 
that  I  would  ever  have  become  a  Presbyterian  clergyman.  Religion  is 
but  the  poetry  of  the  heart,  the  fair  and  sublime  of  the  moral  world. 
It  is  an  unfailing  fountain  of  elysian  enjoyment,  from  whose  streams  I 
heartily  wish  that  all  could  drink.  It  is  more  refreshing  than  the  Nectar 
poured  out  by  the  fair  hands  of  Hebe.  Who  would  not  wish  to  culti 
vate  'that  chastity  of  moral  feeling  which  has  never  sinned,  even  in 
thought  ;  that  pious  fear  to  have  offended,  though  but  in  a  dream  ;. 
that  pudor  which  is  the  proper  guardian  of  every  kind  of  virtue,  and  a 
sure  preservative  against  vice  and  corruption  ?'  The  love  of  God  is  a 
sublime  and  solemn  enthusiasm,  counteracting  the  downwar-d  tenden 
cies  of  self-love  ;  the  evidence  of  a  regenerated  nature,  purified  from 
the  contaminations  of  the  world  and  the  body ;  acting  under  the  influ 
ence  of  grander  views,  and  re-asserting  its  original  glory  and  perfection. 


HIS  CONVERSION.  101 

"  Yesterday  I  delivered  an  address  before  the  Bible  Society,  which, 
I  believe,  was  very  well  received.  Some  weeks  ago,  I  gave  an  exhorta 
tion  from  the  pulpit,  which  had  a  fine  effect ;  but  I  am  awfully  afraid 
that  the  orator  is  too  conspicuous  in  everything  I  say.  My  periods  are 
too  nicely  rounded,  and  the  whole  composition  too  laboured  for  a  mis 
cellaneous  crowd.  They  admire  the  speaker,  but  are  not  made  any  bet 
ter  ;  they  are  delighted  as  they  would  be  with  a  Fourth  of  July  oration  ; 
but  are  not  persuaded  to  turn  from  the  error  of  their  ways.  They 
compliment  me  here  very  highly,  and  I  am  afraid  that  I  sometimes  am 
pleased  with  their  admiration  ;  but  I  pray  fervently  to  God,  to  guard 
me  against  vanity,  and  to  direct  my  footsteps  by  His  wisdom.  I  am 
still  as  warmly  as  ever  devoted  to  the  Classics  and  Metaphysics,  I  look 
upon  them  both  as  absolutely  essential  in  the  education  of  a  clergyman. 
I  have  purchased  a  complete  set  of  Cicero's  works,  which  I  have  read 
very  attentively. 

'*  Your  sincere  friend,  as  ever,. 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 


CHAPTEE    VIII. 
HIS  TEACHING  AT  CHER  AW. 

REMOVES  TO  CHER  AW. — BECOMES  PRINCIPAL  or  THE  ACADEMY. — CHAB- 
ACTER  AS  A  TEACHER. — PHYSICAL  DEVELOPMENT, — HABITS  OF  LlFE. — 
PERIO*D  OF  RELIGIOUS  GLOOM. — ACCOUNT  OF  THIS  STAGE  OF  HIS  HIS 
TORY,  BY  AN  ASSOCIATE. — EXPLANATION  OF  THE  GLOOM  AND  IRRITA 
BILITY.— DEFECTIVE  RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE. — APPLIES  TO  PRESBY 
TERY,  AND  IS  TAKEN  UNDER  ITS  CARE,  AS  A  CANDIDATE  FOR  THE  MINISTRY. 

AT  what  time,  or  under  what  circumstances,  his  en 
gagement  at  Sumterville  was  terminated,  we  are  not 
informed;  but  in  November,  1832,  he  is  amongst  his  old 
friends  in  the  town  of  Cheraw.  The  following  letter, 
gloomy  as  it  is,  cannot  be  withheld,  as  it  reveals  a  phase 
of  character  which  was  temporary ;  confined,  indeed,  almost 
wholly  to  this  period  of  his  life,  and  of  which  hardly  a 
trace  could  be  detected  by  the  friends  of  his  later  years. 
It  is  written  to  J.  Johnston  Knox,  Esq. 

"  CHERAW,  November  22,  1832. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  Circumstances,  which  it  is  quite  useless  to  men 
tion,  have  prevented  me  from  writing  to  you  as  early  as  I  should  other 
wise  have  done.  To  a  mind  constituted  like  my  own,  the  condition  in 
which  I  find  myself  placed  abounds  in  subjects  of  disquietude  and  sor 
row.  Naturally  of  a  gloomy  temperament,  even  the  brightest  objects 
around  me  I  am  prone  to  clothe  in  a  sombre  hue.  How  dark  and  for 
bidding,  therefore,  must  those  appear  which  are  really  tinged  with  the 
darkness  of  calamity !  My  morning  dream  of  hope,  my  early  visions  of 
future  bliss,  have  been  sadly  obscured  by  the  cloud  of  disappointment. 
The  friends  of  by-gone  days,  the  sportive  companions  of  my  childhood, 
are  many  of  them  mouldering  in  the  silent  grave  ;  and  one  whom  I  love 
as  a  father,  who  has  done  more  for  me  than  millions  can  repay,  is  now 
standing  on  the  brink  of  the  tomb.  An  incurable  disease  has,  I  fear, 
seized  upon  his  vitals,  and  I  know  not  how  soon  I  may  be  called  to  at 
tend  his  body  to  the  narrow  house  appointed  for  all  living.  It  may  be 
years,  or  it  may  be  months  ;  for  nothing  is  so  subtle  and  deceptive  as 
pulmonary  consumption.  Another  of  my  patrons  is  just  recovering 

103 


104  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

from  a  severe  attack  of  bilious  fever,  and  I  myself  have  been  fixed  to 
the  sod.  Bring  my  situation  home  to  yourself,  and  conceive,  if  you 
can,  the  wilderness  of  soul  to  which  it  has  reduced  me.  I  look  upon 
the  world  with  new  eyes.  I  know  its  vanities,  and  feel  its  emptiness. 
There  was  a  period  (and  I  can  hardly  revert  to  it  without  a  tear)  when 
my  bosom  glowed  with  the  rapture  of  hope ;  when  the  future  appeared 
to  me  arrayed  in  the  garlands  of  joy ;  when  my  nightly  dreams  were  of 
bliss,  and  my  waking  thoughts  of  approaching  felicity.  But  the  delu 
sion  has  disappeared,  and  all  the  phantoms  of  beatitude,  which  once 
allured  me,  have  faded  away.  'Delirium  is  our  best  deceiver.'  'Our 
lucid  intervals  of  thought'  only  expose  to  us  our  real  condition.  They 
unveil  before  us  the  naked  skeletons  of  misery,  and  torture  our  minds 
with  woeful  forebodings  of  disappointment  and  sorrow. 

' '  But  I  have  no  disposition  to  dwell  upon  the  sad  picture  of  human 
suffering,  which  it  would  require  no  exercise  of  fancy  to  depict.  Our 
calamities  are  all  intended  for  our  good.  They  are  merely  chastise 
ments  from  the  hand  of  a  kind  and  benevolent  Father ;  and  we  should 
regard  them  in  the  light  of  instruction,  not  of  wrath.  'Those  whom 
He  loveth,  He  chasteneth,'  says  the  Apostle  ;  and  it  would  be  well  for 
us  to  keep  this  important  truth  ever  in  our  view,  to  prevent  us  from 
murmurs,  and  to  secure  our  improvement.  In  the  garden  of  life  there 
is  indeed  placed  a  sepulchre,  but  it  is  placed  there  for  our  benefit.  In 
walking  among  the  roses  and  lilies,  it  is  good  for  us  to  stumble  occa 
sionally  on  the  sad  monument  of  human  decay.  From  it  we  could 
draw  instructive  lessons  concerning  the  instability  of  all  earthly  enjoy 
ment,  the  delusive  nature  of  all  earthly  hopes,  and  the  final  consummation 
of  all  earthly  expectations.  It  would  teach  us  to  contemplate  our  latter 
end,  and  to  prepare  in  earnest  for  appearing  before  the  dread  tribunal  of 
our  Redeemer  and  Judge.  Skeletons  and  bones,  the  coffin  and  the  shroud, 
the  winding  sheet  and  sepulchre,  are  the  most  instructive  volumes  we  can 
possibly  peruse.  Tbeir  lessons  are  written  in  dark  characters,  but  they  are 
only  the  more  legible  on  that  account.  I  love  to  take  a  solitary  ramble 
in  a  church-yard.  A  sort  of  gloomy,  melancholy  pleasure  is  diffused 
over  my  mind  as  I  read  the  tale  that  is  told  by  the  little  mounds  which 
conceal  what  once  was  life  and  health  and  animation.  The  mournful 
tribute  of  affection  to  departed  worth,  the  brief  history  on  the  grave 
stone  of  the  dust  that  lies  beneath  it,  all  speak  to  me  in  thrilling  ac 
cents,  which  find  a  pensive  response  from  my  own  bosom.  'Man  is 
like  a  thing  of  nought,  and  his  days  as  a  shadow  thatfleeth  away.'  But 
brighter  visions  open  upon  us  beyond  the  grave  ;  and  thanks  be  to  God, 
who  giveth  us  the  victory  over  the  king  of  terrors !  Jesus  Christ  has 
disarmed  death  of  his  sting,  and  hell  of  its  malice.  Let  us  cling  to 
Him,  and  all  will  be  well  with  us.  Christianity  is  the  best  gift  of  God 
to  man.  The  Bible  is  a  treasure  whose  value  cannot  be  calculated. 
On  the  darkest  midnight  of  the  soul  it  pours  the  beams  of  day.  The 
poisoned  arrows  of  affliction  become,  under  its  influence,  teachers  of 
virtue ;  and  even  prosperity  itself  grows  brighter,  when  illumined  by 


HIS  TEACHING  AT  CHEKAW.  105 

the  'Sun  of  Righteousness.'  Let  us,  then,  hold  fast  to  this  religion. 
It  is  precisely  adapted  to  our  circumstances ;  and  if  we  give  it  up,  we 
plunge  into  an  awful  chaos.  It  is  indeed  a  blessed  thing  to  be  a 
Christian ;  and  I  would  not  surrender  the  hope  that  is  in  me  for  worlds 
upon  worlds,  or  systems  upon  systems.  Were  it  not  for  the  consola 
tions  of  Christianity,  who  could  bear  to  drag  out  a  miserable  existence 
on^  this  earthly  ball !  A  wounded  spirit  would  be  intolerable  without 
the  alleviations  of  the  gospel.  Those,  therefore,  should  truly  be  an 
athema  who  would  rob  us  of  this  blessing.  But  I  must  leave  this 
subject. 

' '  My  prospects  are  flattering  for  the  Principal's  place  in  the  Academy 
next  year.     The  salary  is  $700,  payable  quarterly. 
"  Your  sincere  friend, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

This  hope  was  soon  realized.  In  January,  1833,  having 
just  passed  his  twentieth  birth-day,  he  was  associated 
with  Mr.  Donald  (now  the  Rev.  Dr.)  McQueen,  in  teaching 
the  Cheraw  Academy,  where  lie  had  been  himself  pre 
pared  for  College.  Mr.  McQueen  resigning  in  October, 
he  continued,  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Thomas  E.  B. 
Pegues,  in  the  same  important  position,  until  June,  1 834: ; 
-at  which  time  we  shall  follow  him  to  a  different  sphere. 
During  these  eighteen  months  he  gave  unmistakeable 
proof  of  those  qualities  which  afterwards  distinguished 
him  as  a  teacher.  The  same  enthusiasm  was  displayed 
in  imparting  knowledge  which  he  had  always  exhibited 
in  acquiring  it.  His  patience  and  zeal  were -unbounded. 
He  would  bribe  the  brightest  scholars  to  spend  their 
Saturdays  with  him  in  the  school-room,  and  would  often 
protract  the  exercises  of  the  day,  until  the  gathering 
darkness  drove  him,  with  the  class,  to  the  open  door  for 
the  remains  of  light  left  by  the  setting  sun.  Laborious 
and  patient  with  the  more  docile  pupils,  in  whom  he  could 
arouse  an  interest  similar  to  his  own,  his  temper  would 
break  forth  sometimes  against  the  indolent.  So  intense 
was  his  own  passion  for  learning,  that  he  failed  in  sym 
pathy  with  such  as  were  indifferent  to  their  opportunities. 
It  was  something  he  could  not  understand  ;  and  a  feeling 
of  contempt  mingled  with  his  anger  against  the  methods 


106  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

of  evasion  to  which  the  thoughtless  would  resort.  At  the 
same  time,  he  was  so  companionable  with  his  pupils,  so 
devoted  to  their  welfare,  and  so  much  interested  in  their 
sports  as  well  as  their  studies,  as  to  win  their  respect  and 
love,  notwithstanding  occasional  severity  in  his  discipline. 
One  of  these  pupils  furnishes  this  sketch :  "  I  went  to 
school  to  Mr.  Thornwell  after  his  graduation.  He  was 
very  thorough  as  a  teacher,  took  great  interest  in  all  the 
recitations,  neglected  nothing,  and  would  complete  the 
exercises,  even  if  the  approaching  twilight  drove  him  to 
the  door  to  get  light  enough  to  read  by.  On  such  occa 
sions,  the  boys  woulcl  increase  the  darkness  by  closing  the 
window  shutters,  while  he  was  so  absorbed  with  the  class 
as  to  be  utterly  unconscious  of  it.  They  would  also  make 
all  kinds  of  noises,  by  scraping  their  feet  on  the  floor, 
dropping  slates,  coughing,  clearing  their  throats,  &c. 
For  a  time  he  would  seem  unconscious  of  all  this  ;  but 
would  occasionally  be  aroused,  and  then  what  a  storm 
would  come !  The  most  cutting  sarcasms  and  withering 
reproofs,  making  the  guilty  shrink  away  in  shame  and 
confusion.  These  were  really,  at  times,  tirades  of  per 
sonal  abuse,  and  exhibited  the  utmost  contempt  for  the 
meanness  and  baseness  he  was  reproving."  When  it  is 
remembered  that  he  had  not  yet  learned  to  put  a  check 
upon  his  powers  of  invective,  before  which  his  equals  in 
age  and  his  peers  in  knowledge  always  quailed,  it  is  not 
strange  that  these  boys  should  cower  beneath  the  flash  of 
his  eye,  and  the  overwhelming  sneer  which  he  could  throw 
into  his  tones.  But  the  monotony  of  the  school-room 
furnishes  few  incidents  for  a  narrative.  Let  it  give  way 
to  his  correspondence,  which  opens  again  the  experience 
of  his  inner  life.  The  following,  addressed  to  his  friend, 
Mr.  Knox,  is ,  tinged  with  the  same  melancholy  as  the 
preceding ;  but  it  throws  light  upon  his  religious  history. 

"CHEEAW,  June  27,  1833. 

"Mr  DEAB  FKIEND  :  I  received  your  kind  and  cheering  letter  some 
time  ago,  and  would  have  replied  to  it  immediately,  but  my  attention 


HIS  TEACHING  AT  CHERAW.  107 

•was  so  much  taken  up  with  the  necessary  preparations  for  my  examina 
tion  that  I  could  find  no  leisure  for  the  calls  of  friendship.  Dream  not 
for  a  moment  that  it  was  from  want  of  disposition  ;  my  feelings  yet 
flow  generously  and  freely  in  their  old  channels.  It  was  purely  the 
want  of  time.  I  have  now  a  vacation,  a  rest  of  two  we'eks ;  and  I  pro 
pose  to  visit  my  'old  stand.'  There  are  many  hallowed  associations 
in  my  mind  connected  with  Sumterville.  Many  a  day  of  agony  I  in 
deed  spent  there  ;  many  a  bitter  disappointment  I  experienced  there ; 
but  my  darker  hours  are  now  so  blended  with  holier  recollections,  that 
the  sting  is  extracted  from  anguish,  and  the  wormwood  from  sorrow. 
I  love  to  think  on  by-gone  days.  There  are  many  things  presented  by 
a  retrospect  of  the  past,  over  which  I  would  willingly  draw  the  veil  of 
oblivion.  Ordinary  misfortunes  can  be  cured  by  time  ;  common  sor 
rows  are  soon  forgotten ;  or,  if  they  continue  to  be  remembered,  they 
are  remembered  with  a  melancholy  pleasure.  But  there  is  a  disease  of 
the  heart  which  preys  upon  the  vitals,  and  mocks  at  remedy.  It  is  a 
canker-worm  consuming  its  finest  energies,  and  destroying  its  fairest 
hopes.  Wherever  it  touches,  it  spreads  a  moral  desolation,  and  con 
verts  the  fruitful  field  into  a  waste  and  vacant  wilderness.  It  is  despair. 
The  sirocco  and  simoon,  the  tempest  and  the  whirlwind,  are  fearful 
things  ;  but  they  can  and  do  pass  away.  But  despair  is  an  eternal  mid 
night  of  the  mind.  Days,  months,  and  years  may  roll  on ;  it  still  re 
mains,  a  fierce  destroyer  of  all  joy,  all  comfort,  all  peace.  *  *  *  * 
"  In  Cheraw  we  have  something  of  a  revival  of  religion.  Our  good 
pastor,  Mr.  Powers,  has  been  labouring  hard  for  the  last  week  amongst 
us.  Many  are  serious,  and  others  profess  to  be  converted.  I  confess, 
for  my  own  part,  that  I  have  been  mightily  revived.  The  Spirit  of  th<* 
Lord  is  among  us ;  the  hand  of  the  Most  High  is  with  us.  Men  in  all 
quarters  are  awakening  to  the  importance  of  the  subject,  and  the  mil- 
lenium  is  in  its  morning  dawn.  I  rejoice  to  see  it  come.  '  Come, 
Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly.'  This  is  the  prayer  of  every  genuine  Chris 
tian.  Would  to  God  that  I  could  be  delivered  entirely  from  sin,  that  I 
could  live  entirely  and  unreservedly  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Let  us 
be  awake  to  the  importance  of  the  subject ;  let  us  remember  that  the 
blood  of  sinners  is  required  at  our  hands.  To  be  a  follower  of  the 
Lamb  involves  a  fearful  responsibility.  Let  us  all  shake  off  our  be 
setting  sins.  I  know  what  mine  is ;  it  is  the  blues;  and  would  to  God 
that  I  could  get  entirely  rid  of  them.  They  give  me  much  uneasiness. 
They  are  partly  hereditary,  and  partly  the  result  of  dyspepsia ;  but  they 
are  yet  sinful.  I  have,  by  the  grace  of  God,  almost  succeeded  in  shak 
ing  them  off ;  they  have  lost  much  of  their  bitterness.  Believe  me, 
"  Your  sincere  friend, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

The  three  years  following  his  graduation  from  College,, 
from  1832  to  1834  inclusive,  form  a  clear  parenthesis  in 
the  life  of  Dr.  Thornwell ;  during  which  his  character 


108  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

appears  to  differ  from  what  it  was  both  before  and  after 
it.  It  was,  as  we  have  seen,  the  period  of  a  great  religious 
change ;  it  was  also  the  season  of  a  great  physical  trans 
formation.  He  grew  at  least  a  head  taller,  and  reached  to 
the  ordinary  height  of  men.  His  complexion  became 
clear,  throwing  off  its  sallow  hue;  and  though  never 
ruddy,  it  was  not  unduly  pale,  but  wore  the  appearance 
of  health.  His  hair,  which  rivalled  the  raven  in  its  black 
ness,  lay  smooth  and  soft  upon  a  head,  which  was  never 
large,  but  exceedingly  well  developed.  The  expansion 
was  complete,  from  the  diminutive  stature  which  had 
marked  him  from  childhood,  to  the  full  proportioned 
man ;  with  the  spare  habit,  and  carriage  of  body  rather 
distinguished  by  easy  negligence  than  grace,  which  is  so 
well  remembered  by  all  who  knew  him  in  public  life. 
This  change,  too,  was  wrought  by  the  simple  force  of 
nature  herself,  without  the  adventitious  aids  which  might 
have  been  supplied.  On  the  contrary,  his  habits  were 
precisely  such  as  should  have  thwarted  this  favourable 
development.  Sitting  up,  in  severe  study,  to  a  late  hour 
at  night,  frequently  so  absorbed  as  to  be  arrested  by  the 
morning's  dawn  still  at  his  desk,  indifferent  as  to  food, 
negligent  of  recreation  and  exercise,  thoroughly  inattentive 
to  the  demands  of  nature  in  all  respects,  it  is  not  strange 
that  he  became  the  victim  of  dyspepsia,  which  threw  its 
oppresive  gloom  over  a  spirit  constitutionally  elastic  and 
buoyant.  The  only  wonder  is,  that  his  frame  should 
have  matured  at  all,  or  that  it  should  have  possessed  any 
of  the  vigour  and  endurance  that  marked  his  future  years. 
The  prevailing  sadness  breathed  into  the  correspondence 
of  this  period,  had  also  a  moral  source,  to  which  we  recur 
with  all  the  delicacy  possible.  His  affections  had  become 
seriously  entangled ;  which,  like  the  educational  "  first- 
love"  of  most  men,  was  destined  to  issue  in  disappoint 
ment.  The  two  young  hearts  would  indeed  have  disposed 
of  the  case  differently.  But  the  stern  prudence  of  older 
heads  could  see  little  that  was  promising  in  the  poverty 


HIS  TEACHING  AT  CHERAW.  109 

of  the  ardent  wooer,  nor  in  his  unsettled  plans,  his  soaring 
visions,  and  his  somewhat  fitful  temper.  The  attachment, 
nevertheless,  was  strong,  and  runs  through  the  whole  of 
this  period.  As  it  came  to  nought,  we  have  not  chosen 
to  bring  it  into  prominence;  and  would  gladly  have 
withheld  even  this  allusion,  if  it  were  not  the  dark  thread 
in  the  web  of  his  present  experience,  needed  to  explain 
the  gloom  with  wrhich  it  is  distempered.  Whether  these 
combined  causes  are  sufficient  to  explain  it  or  not,  a  due 
consideration  of  all  the  facts  compels  us  to  regard  him  as 
being,  during  this  transitional  period,  in  a  morbid  and 
abnormal  condition.  This  gloom,  for  example,  was  not 
constitutional;  for  if  he  had  one  characteristic  more 
prominent  than  any  other  in  his  after  life,  it  was  the  play 
fulness  into  which  he  would  relax  when  unbending  his 
mind  from  severe  study.  It  was  this  wonderful  elasticity, 
springing  from  a  native  gaiety  and  joyousness  of  spirit, 
that  kept  him  alive  amid  the  exactions  of  laborious  toil. 
Then,  too,  the  original  and  deep  affection ateness  of  his 
nature  rendered  it  impossible  for  him  to  be  unamiable; 
he  was  capable  of  quick  resentments,  but  never  of  sour 
misanthropy.  It  would,  therefore,  be  severely  unjust  to 
take  occasional  and  external  exhibitions  of  fretfulness  as 
the  criterion  of  habitual  character.  It  would  be  wise  to 
consider  whether  the  natural  disposition  might  not  be 
warped  by  constraining  influences  from  without,  throwing 
it  out  of  its  normal  state,  and  producing  the  irregularities 
which  are  observed. 

The  friend  most  intimate  with  him  at  this  period,  and 
whose  heart  was  knit  to  him  as  that  of  Jonathan  to  David, 
writes :  "  I  think  he  had,  at  times,  the  most  perverse  dis 
position  I  ever  met  with.  His  prejudices  weie  easily  ex 
cited  ;  and  lie  could  neither  see  a  flaw  in  those  wlicm  lie 
loved,  nor  a  virtue  in  those  whom  he  disliked.  Avaricious 
of  praise,  yet  too  proud  to  solicit  attention,  he  writhed 
under  any  appearance  of  neglect.  Impatient  of  contra 
diction,  he  had  a  feeling  akin  to  scorn  and  contempt  for 


110  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

those  whose  opinions  differed  from  his  own.  His  morbid 
feelings  rendered  him  suspicious  of  slights  which  were 
never  intended,  whilst  his  invectives  were  reckless  of  those 
who  chanced  to  displease  him.  His  sensitiveness  kept 
every  company  uneasy  in  which  he  was  thrown,  lest 
some  unguarded  remark  should  cause  an  explosion.  His 
eye,  which  was  a  little  dreamy  in  repose,  glared  like 
lightning  when  he  was  aroused ;  and  the  sneer  which 
curled  his  lip  will  never  be  forgotten  by  such  as  have 
withered  beneath  its  sarcasm.  His  later  friends  can  form 
no  adequate  idea  of  the  terror  of  that  countenance,  when 
inflamed  by  anger.  The  flash  of  the  eye  always  remained  ; 
but  its  inexpressible  fierceness  was  quenched  by  Divine 
grace."  The  witness,  whose  language  is  here  given,  pro 
ceeds  to  furnish  an  illustration  of  this  untamed  spirit.  "  I 
remember  that  he  drove  from  the  Academy  a  gentleman 
who  had  been  a  former  teacher,  but  was  now  placed  over 
an  institution  for  females  in  the  town,  yet  retaining  a 
general  supervision  of  the  Academy.  He  was  a  reputable 
.  scholar,  but  a  complete  pedant ;  in  fact,  a  fair  specimen  of 
a  Boston  public-school  teacher.  He  had  notions  about 
discipline,  order,  and  other  things,  which  Thornwell  des 
pised.  On  one  unfortunate  day,  he  undertook  to  examine 
Thornwell's  class  in  Greek;  who  sat  with  an  ominous 
curl  of  the  lip,  and  an  eye  darting  fire  from  beneath  those 
drooping  lashes.  At  length,  a  boy  was  corrected  in  his 
translation.  Never  did  a  panther  leap  upon  his  prey 
with  more  ferocity,  than  did  Thornwell  upon  his  unhappy 
victim.  He  fairly  shouted,  'the  boy  is  right,'  and  pro 
ceeded  to  prove  it  beyond  all  dispute.  The  old  teacher 
was  perfectly  overwhelmed  ;  and  feeling  himself  degraded 
in  the  eyes  of  the  pupils,  could  never  be  induced  again  to 
cross  the  threshold  of  the  Academy." 

There  is,  perhaps,  a  psychological  explanation  of  much 
of  this.  We  incline  to  think  that  most  youth  of  large 
promise  encounter  a  trying  middle  passage,  just  as  they 
enter  upon  manhood.  Conscious  of  mental  power,  they 


HIS  TEACHING  AT  CHER  AW.  Ill 

are  not  able  yet  to  take  its  exact  measure.  The  suc 
cesses  of  their  novitiate  have  sharpened  ambition,  without 
giving  the  precise  gauge  of  their  capacity.  Visions  of 
hope  float  ill-defined  in  the  air,  while  life  spreads  out 
before  them  a  vast  and  unexplored  sea.  As  they  stand 
upon  its  shores,  and  look  across  its  tempestuous  billows,  a 
vague  dread  seizes  upon  the  spirit,  lest  it  should  prove 
unequal  to  the  dangerous  voyage.  Its  perils  are  magnified 
by  the  fear  through  which  they  are  viewed  ;  and  a  sick 
ening  conflict  ensues  betwixt  the  ambition  which  would 
court  the  trial,  and  the  self-esteem  that  cannot  brook  the 
anticipation  of  possible  defeat.  A  feverish  irritability  is 
the  result;  which,  if  indulged,  becomes  excessive  and 
tormenting.  The  mind  casts  round  for  some  presage  of 
the  future,  and  seeks  in  the  adulation  of  partial  friends  a 
prophecy  of  ultimate  success.  It  is  challenged,  if  with 
held;  and  there  is  a  jealous  assertion  of  prerogatives 
which  are  far  from  being  established.  The  whole  condi 
tion  is  one  of  restlessness  and  of  morbid  sensibility,  which 
renders  the  party  unhappy,  and,  therefore,  unamiable ; 
but  which  generally  disappears,  as  soon  as  the  duties  of 
life  are  fairly  assumed,  and  the  pressure  of  responsibility 
is  really  felt.  More  or  less  of  this  marks  every  boy  at 
"  the  disagreeable  age,"  when  the  down  first  begins  to 
appear  on  the  peach ;  and  which  partly  justifies  the  raillery 
of  the  lady  who  said,  "it  is  a  pity  there  is  not  an  asylum 
where  'they  could  all  be  put  till  they  have  passed  the 
disagreeable  age."  But  it'  is  immeasurably  more  intense 
with  youth  of  real  intellect,  tortured  by  ambition,  but  un 
certain  of  their  real  strength.  If  to  this  we  add  the  other 
causes  which  have  been  previously  named,  it  will  be  easy 
to  account  for  all  that  has  called  for  criticism  in  Mr. 
Thornwell's  character,  at  this  period ;  and  we  can  better 
understand  the  completeness  of  the  revolution,  as  soon  as 
he  took  hold  upon  life,  and  entered  upon  its  earnest  work. 
Beneath  all  these  faults,  however,  there  was  much  that 
was  truly  heroic.  He  was  ardent  and  generous  in  his 


112  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

affections,  trustful  and  confiding  in  his  friendships,  artless 
and  simple  in  his  conduct,  high-minded  and  honourable  in 
all  his  purposes  and  acts.  He  was  honest  in  his  search 
after  truth,  to  whose  authority  he  always  bowed  with  ab 
solute  docility ;  and  was  incapable  of  disguise  or  evasion 
in  any  form.  There  was  no  infusion  of  malignity,  even 
in  his  sarcasm,  and  his  explosions  of  anger  were  followed 
by  humiliation  and  acknowledgment.  Even  in  the  affairs 
of  the  heart,  where  the  temptation  is  so  strong  to  over 
reach  opposition,  he  was  the  soul  of  honour,  and  came 
out  of  these  delicate  complications,  without  a  stain  upon 
his  integrity.  He  just  needed  to  be  turned  upside  down, 
and  to  bring  the  better  qualities  to  their  legitimate  su 
premacy. 

His  religious  experience  was,  of  course,  alike  defective ; 
the  leaven  had  not  yet  leavened  the  entire  lump.  He 
adhered  still  to  the  hope  he  had  expressed,  and  was  ac 
tive  in  prayer  meetings  and  the  like.  But  his  addresses 
were  lacking  in  spirituality.  They  were  effective  in 
demolishing  infidelity,  and  establishing  the  truth  of 
Christianity :  sometimes  directed  sharply  against  the 
inconsistencies  of  professors  of  religion,  whom  he  would 
describe  as  "  needing  bells  on  their  necks  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  world."  But  the  sweet  savour  of  the 
gospel  did  not  impart  unction  to  his  words.  The  friend 
above  cited  writes  of  him  :  "  He  lacked  humility,  and  did 
not  feel  sufficiently  his  lost  condition  as  a  sinner.  All 
this  was  too  much  a  matter  of  the  intellect.  He  had  not 
studied  God's  Word  as  he  studied  other  books.  He  got 
at  his  doctrines  rather  as  they  were  discussed  by  other 
men,  and  was  not  pervaded  by  their  spirit."  A  painful 
impression  of  this  sort  was  made  upon  the  Presbytery  of 
Harmony,  upon  his  application,  in  the  autumn  of  1833,* 
to  be  taken  under  its  care,  as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry. 

*  The  Presbytery  met  at  "Winnsborcmgh,  Fairfield  District,  November 
29th,  1833  ;  and  Mr.  Thornwell  was  taken  under  its  care,  as  a  candidate 
for  the  ministry,  on  the  2d  of  December. 


HIS  TEACHING  AT  CHERAW. 

His  examination  was  so  unsatisfactory  upon  his  personal 
experience,  and  his  views  for  seeking  the  sacred  office, 
that  the  Presbytery  hung  in  doubt  what  decision  to 
render.  The  scales  were  turned  at  last  by  the  wise 
counsel  of  the  Rev.  Robert  W.  James,  a  man  eminent  for 
his  practical  judgment,  whose  name  is  still  as  "  ointment 
poured  forth,"  in  all  the  region  where  he  lived.  Said 
this  judicious  counsellor:  "Notwithstanding  the  diffi 
culties  in  the  way,  I  think  I  descry  the  root  of  the  matter 
in  this  young  man.  Remember  that,  in  taking  him  under 
our  care,  we  are  not  licensing  him  to  preach.  If,  here 
after,  we  shall  find  him  still  labouring  under  these  un 
satisfactory  views,  we  can  then  drop  him.  There  is 
something,  however,  about  him,  which  impresses  me  with 
the  idea  that  he  will  yet  be  a  man  of  great  usefulness." 
It  is  pleasing  to  know  that  Mr.  James  lived  long  enough 
to  have  his  rare  penetration  justified,  and  to  see  his 
hopeful  prophecy  fulfilled. 

An  event  occurred  now  which  affected  considerably  the 
movements  of  our  friend.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Ebenezer  Porter, 
of  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Andover,  Massachusetts, 
spent  the  winter  of  1833-'4  in  the  South,  to  which  he  was 
driven  in  feeble  health.  A  considerable  portion  of  it  was 
spent  in  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  whither  he  was  at 
tracted  by  the  society  of  his  friend,  the  Rev.  George 
Howe,  D.  D.  In  the  school  of  the  prophets  over  which 
Dr.  Howe  presided,  Dr.  Porter  delivered  the  Lectures  on 
Homiletics,  subsequently  published,  and  extensively  used 
as  a  text-book  in  that  department.  Upon  his  return 
homeward,  in  the  spring  of  1834,  he  took  Cheraw  in  his 
route,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  one  of  his  former  pupils, 
the  Rev.  Urias  Powers,  the  pastor  of  the  church  in  that 
town.  Mr.  Thornwell  was  here  introduced  to  him,  as 
one  having  the  gospel  ministry  in  .view ;  to  whom  Dr. 
Porter  tendered  the  privileges  of  the  Andover  Seminary, 
without  cost,  if  he  chose  to  avail  himself  of  them.  This 


114  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

invitation  was  accepted,  under  the  urgent  persuasion  of 
Mr.  Powers,  and  in  the  hope  of  enjoying  superior  advan 
tages  in  acquiring  the  Oriental  languages.  To  this  place 
we  shall  then  follow  him,  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
EESIDENCE  AT  CAMBRIDGE. 

SUDDEN  REMOVAL  TO  AKDOVER,  MASSACHUSETTS. — THENCE  TO  CAMBRIDGE. 
— REASONS  FOB  THE  LATTER  CHANGE. — LETTER  FROM  MB.  KOBBINS. — 
CORRESPONDENCE. — AMUSING  STORY  OF  A  VISIT  TO  BOSTON. — HEARS 
MB.  EVERETT'S  EULOGY  UPON  LAFAYETTE. — CONTKASTS  BETWEKN  DIF 
FERENT  STAGES  IN  THE  SAME  LIFE.— LETTERS. — His  RETURN  HOME. 

ABOUT  the  middle  of  the  year  1834,  Mr.  Thornwell, 
being  released  by  the  trustees  from  his  engagement 
as  Principal  of  the  Academy  at  Cheraw,  finds  himself  at 
Andover,  Massachusetts.  He  arrived  during  the  vacation 
of  the  Divinity  School ;  and  not  being  pleased  with  the 
place,  or  with  the  advantages  it  offered,  transferred  his 
residence  at  once  to  Cambridge.  The  impression  made 
upon  him,  and  the  incidents  of  his  brief  sojourn  in  Massa 
chusetts,  will  be  best  exhibited  through  his  own  letters ; 
with  which  this  chapter  will  be  exclusively  occupied.  The 
first  is  addressed  to  his  -former  patron,  General  James 
Gillespie : 

"HARVARD  UNIVERSITY,  August  13,  1834. 

"  MY  DEAR  GENERAL  :  You  have  above  an  exact  representation  of  the 
Theological  Seminary  at  Andover.  The  building  which  I  have  marked 
(A)  is  Phillip's  Hall ;  (B)  is  the  Chapel ;  (C)  is  Bartlett  Hall ;  and  (D)  is 
Phillip's  Academy.  They  are  all  four  stories,  and  made  of  brick.  The 
trees  are  large  elms.  The  college-yard  is  cut  into  walks,  and  each  walk 
is  lined  with  trees.  The  rest  of  the  area  is  covered  with  a  rich  grass, 
occasionally  shaded  by  a  branching  elm.  Such  is  the  external  appear 
ance  of  Andover.  I  have  left  the  institution  for  good,  and  shall  state 
to  you  my  reasons  for  this  sudden  movement.  1.  The  advantages  were 
not  such  as  I  expected.  Dr.  Robinson  has  left  the  institution,  and 
there  is  neither  German,  Syriac,  Chaldee,  nor  Arabic  teacher.  Nothing, 
in  short,  is  taught  there  which  is  not  taught  equally  well  at  Columbia. 
Professor  Stuart  is  the  only  able  man  in  the  institution.  2.  The 
Theology  taught  there  is  such  as  I  cannot  countenance :  it  is  awfully 

115 


116  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

New  School.  3.  The  habits  of  the  people  are  disagreeable  to  me.  4.  I 
have  no  idea  of  settling  in  this  country.  No  money  could  induce  me 
to  do  it.  *  *  * 

"I  came  to  Cambridge  to-day,  and  shall  spend  the  remainder  of  the 
year  here  as  a  resident  graduate.  I  shall  devote  myself  chiefly  to  He 
brew  and  German  ;  will  take  a  room  in  Divinity  Hall,  and  attend  regu 
larly  the  lectures  of  Harvard.  I  intend  to  prepare  myself  for  the  Senior 
Class  in  Columbia*  next  January,  being  deficient  only  in  Hebrew. 
"Yours  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL.  " 

In  the  following,  addressed  to  him,  the  reader  would 
detect,  without  the  signature,  the  tone  and  style  of  hi& 
old  Mentor,  Mr.  Robbins : 

"CHEBAW,  August  23,  1834. 

"DEAR  JAMES:  It  gave  me  great  pleasure  to  receive  your 'letter  of 
the  6th,  about  a  week  since,  and  to  find  that  you  had  settled  down  on 
your  plan  of  occupation  for  the  year.  I  doubt  not  that  the  employment 
of  your  mind  on  subjects  of  higher  importance,  will  direct  it  from  the 
sickly  sensibility  about  those  you  have  left  behind  you,  which  ever  en 
hances  the  absent,  and  minishes  the  comforts  of  our  present  situation. 
This,  James,  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  home-sickness.  You  may 
never  have  felt  it  before,  but  rest  assured  it  is  a  very  common  disease. 
There  is  nothing  of  an  alarming  character  in  either  its  symptoms  or  re 
sults.  '  Men  have  died,  and  worms  have  eat  them,  but  not  for  home-sick 
love  ;'  and,  for  your  consolation,  I  can  assure  you,  (for  I  have  travelled 
over  every  inch  of  ground  you  are  now  treading,)  that  the  first  serious 
occupation  of  your  mind  on  any  other  subject  of  interest  or  importance 
will  infallibly  dispel  the  dark  clouds  which  may  now  be  gathered  over 
your  horizon.  You  will  find  skies  as  fair,  hills  as  green,  and  breezes  as 
soft  in  the  latitude  of  Massachusetts,  as  those  you  leave  behind  you.  I 
was  glad  to  see  that  you  were  becoming  more  at  ease  than  when  you 
penned  your  first  letter  from  Baltimore,  which  A.  G.  showed  me.  In 
deed,  I  could  wish  you  had  not  written  at  all,  when  in  that  frame  of 
mind.  It  always  gives  occasion  to  our  enemies  to  predict  evil  results, 
when  they  find  us  early  and  easily  daunted  in  our  projects  ;  and  I  con 
fess  that  pride,  more  than  anything  else,  contributed  to  reconcile  me  to 
the  absence  from  my  home.  I  knew  that  there  were  those  who  would 
chucljjje  at  my  disappointment  and  return  ;  and  I  resolved,  at  all  hazards, 
to  disappoint  their  malice  ;  and  by  perseverance  I  did  it.  And  you  may 
be  sure  it  is  just  so  in  your  case.  I  have  no  earthly  doubt  but  your 
perseverance  will  so  disappoint  your  enemies,  and  achieve  for  yourself 

*  His  reference  here  is  to  the  Theological  Seminary,  then  under  the 
care  of  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  and  located  in  Colum 
bia,  South  Carolina. 


RESIDENCE   AT  CAMBRIDGE.  117 

a  reputation,  and  standing,  and  situation  in  life,  which  will  be  in  every 
respect  enviable.  But  let  me  caution  you  against  too  great  expectation 
at  first.  Here  you  have  a  degree  of  reputation  for  scholarship  and  at 
tainments,  which  has  not  followed  you  in  your  new  residence.  You 
have  got  to  create  such  a  character  there,  and  time  is  required  to  do 
this.  No  intelligent  people,  especially  those  about  you  now,  are  capti 
vated  at  first  dash ;  but  they  are  sure  to  give  credit  to  talent  and  learn 
ing.  And  when  they  find  it  testified  by  a  sufficient  number  of  mani 
festations,  they  will  be  as  proud  to  foster  you,  as  you  will  be  pleased  to 
receive  their  patronage. 

"My  wife  often  says,  '  How  much  we  shall  miss  James  this  winter;' 
and  when  she  heard  you  were  going  to  return  in  September,  she  said, 
'  For  our  sakes  she  should  admire  to  have  you  ;  but  on  your  own  'ac 
count,  she  would  have  you  remain  where  you  are.'  In  fine,  my  dear 
James,  take  courage.  I  have  only  room  to  say,  go  to  Boston,  call  on 
my  brother,  ask  him  for  letters  to  Mr.  Folsom,  Ware,  Palfrey,  Hedge ; 
call  on  them  occasionally,  sit  half  an  hour  with  them,  and  give  them 
opportunity  to  know  you.  I  do  not  fear  for  your  principles  in  reli 
gion  ;  they  withstood  the  insidious  approaches  of  Dr.  Cooper,  and  they 
cannot  now  give  way  to  error,  in  a  less  dangerous  form.  My  dear  boy,  I 
will  pray  for  you  ;  and  I  feel  strongly  confident  that  the  wise  and  mer 
ciful  Being,  who  overrules  all  things  for  our  good  and  His  own  glory, 
will  give  you  His  power  to  triumph  over  every  difficulty,  and  set  you 
at  last  at  His  own  right  hand  for  ever. 

"Yours  affectionately, 

W.  H.  BOBBINS." 

In  the  letter  which  follows,  addressed  to  his  friend,  Mr. 
A.  H.  Pegues,  the  first  portion  is  occupied  by  a  recapitu 
lation  of  his  reasons  for  leaving  Andover,  which  have 
been  clearly  stated.  It  is,  therefore,  omitted.  The  letter 
is  dated, 

HARVARD  UNIVERSITY,  August  14,  1834. 

MY  DEAB  FRIEND  :  *  *  *  *  I  am  now  comfortably  settled  in  this 
venerable  abode  of  science,  literature,  and  learning.  The  Library  con 
tains  thirty-nine  thousand  volumes,  and  the  Athenaeum  Library  of  Bos 
ton,  sixty  thousand ;  to  both  of  which  I  have  access,  besides  the  privi 
lege  of  attending  all  the  Lectures  of  the  College.  You  see,  therefore, 
that  the  advantages  I  enjoy,  and  the  facilities  for  study,  are  liberal  and 
encouraging.  I  room  in  Divinity  Hall,  among  the  Unitarian  students  of 
Theology*;  for  there  are  no  others  here.  I  shall  expect  to  meet  and  give 
blows  in  defence  of  my  own  peculiar  doctrines  ;  and  God  forbid  that  I 
should  falter  in  maintaining  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints.  I 
look  upon  the  tenets  of  modern  Unitarianism  as  little  better  than  down 
right  infidelity.  Their  system,  as  they  call  it,  is  a  crude  compound  of 


118  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

negative  articles,  admirably  fitted  to  land  the  aoul  in  eternal  misery. 
The  peculiarity  of  their  belief  consists  in  not  beliemna.  Head  over 
their  tracts  and  pamphlets,  and  you  wifl  find  that  they  all  consist,  not  in 
establishing  a  better  system,  but  simply  in  not  believing  the  system  of 
the  Orthodox.  Ask  them  to  tell  you  what  they  do  believe,  and  they  will 
begin  to  recount  certain  doctrines  of  the  Orthodox,  and  tell  you  very 
politely  that  they  do  not  believe  these.  The  truth  is,  they  have  nothing 
positive ;  their  faith  is  all  negative ;  and  I  do  not  know  that  the  Bible 
holds  out  a  solitary  promise  to  a  man  for  not  believing.  And  yet  these 
not-believers  talk  about  Christian  charity  with  a  great  deal  of  pompous- 
ness,  and  take  it  hugely  amiss  that  they  are  not  regarded  by  pious  men 
as  disciples  <*f  Jesus.  Have  you  seen  "Norton's  statement  of  reasons 
for  not  believing  the  doctrine  of  Trinitarians  ?"  It  is  a  queer  book,  and 
should  be  read  just  for  the  curiosity  of  seeing  its  absurdity  and  non 
sense.  When  a  difficult  passage  stares  him  in  the  face,  he  turns  it  off  very 
nicely,  by  saying  that  Paul  was  mistaken  here  ;  that  he  did  not  under 
stand  the  real  nature  of  Christianity,  and  therefore  blundered.  Some 
times  he  makes  even  Jesus  Christ  go  wrong ;  because  he  happened  to  be 
busy  about  something  else,  and  did  not  have  time  to  correct  Himself. 
Now,  a  man  who  can  swallow  such  stuff  as  this,  can  swallow  anything. 
It  is  an  open  defiance  of  all  the  established  laws  of  exegesis ;  and  the 
doctrines,  which  need  such  miserable  subterfuges  to  support  them,  can 
not  come  from  God.  No,  my  friend,  we  are  never  safe  in  departing 
from  the  simple  declarations  of  the  Bible.  Let  me  entreat  you  to  read 
Shuttleworth  on  the  consistency  of  Kevelation  with  reason.  It  is  the 
ablest  work  which  has  issued  from  the  British  press  since  Butler's  An 
alogy.  Bead  it  carefully,  and  you  will  find  philosophy  bowing  at  the 
altar  of  religion ;  read  it  prayerfully,  and  you  must  become  a  Christian. 
"The  Unitarian  will  tell  you  that  experimental  religion  is  all  an  idle 
dream  ;  but,  my  friend,  believe  not  the  tale.  It  is  no  such  thing.  The 
truly  pious  man  walks  with  God  ;  he  is  under  the  influence  of  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  the  consolations  of  the  Gospel  support  him  in  affliction,  and 
cheer  him  in  distress.  There  is  such  a  thing  as  holy  communion  with 
the  blessed  Trinity  ;  as  a  peace  of  mind  which  passeth  all  understanding  ; 
as  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  consolation  in  believing.  There  is  no 
fanaticism,  no  enthusiasm  here  ;  it  is  ajl  sober  truth  ;  and  those  who 
laugh  at  these  things  now,  will  weep  bitterly  in  a  coming  day.  May 
God  be  with  us  both !  May  He  take  us  under  the  shadow  of  His  wing, 
and  save  us  in  the  hour  of  final  retribution ! 

.    ' '  Yours,  as  ever,  ,  • 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

To  General  James  Gillespie :  . 

"HARVARD  UNIVERSITY,  August  27,  1834. 

"Mr  DEAR  GENERAL  :  As  you  have  always  manifested  a  lively  inter 
est  in  the  cause  of  education,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  sending  you  a 


KKSIDKNCK    AT  CAMBRIDGE.  119 

little  volume  on  the  subject,  containing  many  valuable  remarks,;  but  in 
terlarded,  I  think,  with  a  great  deal  of  error.  In  regard  to  the  classics, 
and  the  principle  may  be  extended  to  every  other  study,  the  question 
should  be,  not  -what  is  the  speediest  method  of  acquiring  them,  but 
what  is  the  bent.  By  the  best  method,  I  mean  that  which  most  power 
fully  developes,  employs,  and  strengthens  the  faculties  of  the  mind. 
Childhood  and  youth  are  the  forerunners  of  manhood,  and  are  periods 
of  life  evidently  designed  for  the  attainment  of  those  habits  of  thought 
and  reflection  which  will  be  needed  in  more  advanced  years.  The  great 
principle  which  should  be  kept  steadily  in  view,  in  every  system  of  edu 
cation,  is  that  of  intellectual  discipline.  You  intend  your  son  for  a  law 
yer  ;  but  you  certainly  would  not  think  of  teaching  him  Law  until  he 
became  a  man.  You  would  give  him,  however,  the  habit  of  mind  which 
a  lawyer  ought  to  possess.  Let  knowledge  come  afterwards.  A  man's 
mind  is  a  bundle  of  susceptibilities  lying  dormant.  The  aim  of  educa 
tion  is  to  call  forth  and  exercise  these  susceptibilities,  and  to  develope 
them  all  fully  and  harmoniously.  You  must,  therefore,  present  to  the 
inactive  mind  some  jit  subject.  Any  subject  will  not  do.  A  man  pos 
sesses  the  susceptibility  of  pity ;  but  sorrow  and  suffering  are  the  only 
occasion  of  its  development.  So  a  man  possesses  the  susceptibility  of 
imagination,  but  only  certain  subjects  will  develope  it.  Who  would 
think  of  exciting  the  fancy  by  a  theorem  of  Euclid  ;  or  of  training  the 
discursive  faculty  by  Robinson  Crusoe  ?  It  is  not  enough  to  develope 
the  powers  of  the  mind  ;  they  must  be  developed  in  harmonious  and 
just  proportions.  Give  no  one  power  the  preponderance,  but  train  the 
whole  of  them  fully. 

"  Taking  it  for  granted,  then,  that  the  aim  of  education  is  to  develope 
and  train  all  the  powers  of  the  mind  in  just  proportions,  and  bearing 
in  memory  that  the  powers  of  the  mind  are  a  mere  bundle  of  suscepti 
bilities  which  require  jit  subjects  to  call  them  forth,  the  only  practical 
question  seems  to  be,  What  are  these  fit  subjects,  and  what  is  the 
best  manner  of  presenting  them  to  the  dormant  faculties?  These 
questions  embrace  the  whole  ground  of  education ;  and  on  a  proper 
solution  of  them  depends  a  proper  system  of  intellectual  discipline.  In 
so  far  as  boys  are  concerned,  I  maintain  that  the  classics  are  the  fit  sub 
jects  ;  but  I  differ  widely  from  the  book  which  I  have  sent  you,  with 
respect  to  the  best  method  of  teaching  them.  I  keep  my  eye  fixed 
steadily  on  the  end,  discipline  ;  and  I  do  maintain  that  the  mind  is 
more  exercised  and  more  fully  developed  by  thorough  grammatical 
analysis  than  by  any  other  method.  To  teach  Latin  and  Greek  as 
spoken  languages  is  no  doubt  the  speediest  plan  of  communicating  a 
knowledge  of  them.  But  then  it  trains  the  memory  in  disproportion 
with  the  other  faculties ;  it  destroys  the  harmony  and  equilibrium  of 
the  mind.  By  the  other  course,  this  harmony  is  sustained.  You  train 
the  memory  in  getting  the  grammar  by  heart ;  you  train  the  judgment 
by  an  application  of  the  rules :  you  train  the  power  of  analysis  by  the 
difficulties  of  etymology.  In  the  reading  of  the  classics  with  a  diction- 


120  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

ary,  I  do  not  know  of  a  'single  faculty  which  is  not  employed,  and  em 
ployed,  too,  to  its  full  extent.  It  is  the  teacher's  duty  to  see  that  the 
instruction  is  thorough.  In  our  present  systems  of  teaching,  the  plan 
suggested  by  our  author  is  altogether  impracticable.  We  must  have  a 
large  number  of  scholars  to  support  the  school.  Mr.  Locke  suggested 
the  same  method  long  ago.  It  did  not  take  then,  and  I  hope  it  will  not 
take  now.  These  are  my  views,  expressed  as  briefly  as  I  am  able  to  do 
it.  One  hint  more  in  regard  to  your  own  Academy,  and  I  am  done 
with  the  subject.  Would  it  not  be  well  to  divide  that  institution  into 
two  parts,  English  and  Classical?  You  could  then  arrange  the  parts 
into  classes.  This  would  render  the  course  of  instruction  more  thorough 
and  accurate.  Should  you  publish  your  plan,  it  would  give  your  school 
a  character,  and  ensure  a  liberal  patronage,  I  have  thought  much  on 
this  subject,  for  I  am  warmly  interested  in  the  prosperity  of  the  Cheraw 
Academy. 

' '  Harvard  Commencement  took  place  to-day,  and  was  truly  a  poor 
exhibition  of  talent  and  learning.  Could  old  Johnson  or  Walker  have 
risen  from  the  tomb,  they  would  have  shuddered  at  the  mongrel  dialect 
of  the  Harvard  scholars  ;  for  it  was,  in  truth,  neither  Latin,  Greek,  nor 
English.  The  pronunciation  of  English  is  most  shamefully  neglected 
here,  both  by  teachers  and  students ;  and  whenever  occasion  requires, 
they  coin  words  without  any  compunction.  There  were,  however,  four 
excellent  speeches  ;  the  rest  were  flat  enough.  The  Phi-Beta-Kappa 
will  be  delivered  to-morrow ;  and  I  shall  send  you  a  copy,  as  soon  as  it  is 
published. 

"I  met  Professor  Nott  here  to-day.  He  told  me  that  he  was  publish 
ing  fictitious  tales,  having  regularly  embarked  on  the  sea  of  novel-writ 
ing.  He  has  relinquished  the  task  of  writing  Sumter's  life.  Fiction, 
he  says,  is  better  suited  to  his  taste  than  biography.  I  shall  call  on  him 
in  a  day  or  two.  and  spend,  for  once  again,  a  few  happy  hours. 

' '  I  am  myself  writing  an  article  on  the  study  of  the  Greek,  or  rather 
of  the  classics.  It  will  probably  appear  in  the  January  number  of  the 
North  American  Review.  I  have  written  about  ten  pages,  but  shall  not 
be  able  to  finish  it  before  the  middle  of  September.  I  am  also  collect 
ing  materials  for  an  elaborate  work,  on  which  I  hope  to  found  a  reputa 
tion.  It  is  a  treatise  on  the  philosophy  of  the  Greek  language.  This 
will  not  appear  under  a  year  or  two,  and  Professor  Henry  must  see  it,  be 
fore  it  comes  to  light.  I  wish  to  establish  a  literary  character  in  my  na 
tive  State ;  for  I  have  an  eye^  on  a  Professorship  in  the  Theological 
Seminary  at  Columbia.  That  institution  is  destined  to  take  the  lead  in 
this  country. 

' '  Yours,  affectionately  and  gratefully, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

From  the  sound  views  here  expressed,  of  the  object 
and  methods  of  academic  training,  he  never  receded;  and 
he  based  upon  them  all  his  later  efforts  to  advance  the 


RESIDENCE  AT  CAMBRIDGE.  121 

educational  interests  of  his  native  State.  He  discovers, 
too,  his  predilection  for  a  scholastic  life,  little  dreaming 
of  the  sphere  in  which  it  would  be  indulged;  but  it  is  a 
singular  coincidence  that  his  last  labours  should  have 
been  devoted  to  that  institution,  to  which  his  early  aspi 
rations  had  been  directed,  and  that  he  should  there  have 
wrought  out  the  work  lipon  which  his  permanent  repu 
tation  will  chiefly  rest :  a  work  which,  though  arrested  in 
its  progress  by  the  hand  of  death,  attests,  even  in  its  in 
completeness,  the  power  of  his  genius  and  the  wealth  of 
his  knowledge. 

But  to  his  correspondence  again. 

To  General  James  Gillespie : 

"CAMBRIDGE,  September  6,  1834. 

"  MY  DEAR  GENERAL  :  It  is  now  nearly  twelve  o'clock  at  night,  and  I 
have  determined,  with  a  miserable  pen,  to  give  you  a  short  account  of 
the  incidents  of  the  day.  Early  in  the  forenoon  I  went  into  Boston,  for 
the  purpose  of  hearing  Edward  Everett's  eulogy  on  Lafayette  ;  and  a 
splendid  production"  it  was.  There  were  some  passages  in  it  unsurpassed 
by  the  finest  flights  of  Chatham  or  of  Burke  ;  and  throughout,  it  was  a 
chaste,  classical,  and  elegant  composition.  I  had  taken  up  the  impress 
ion  that  Everett  was  a  cold,  dull,  heartless,  and  formal  speaker,  who 
aimed  only  to  please,  and  not  to  arouse  the  feelings  of  his  auditory  ;  but 
I  was  quite  in  the  wrong.  He  is  impassioned  and  vehement/ and  exer 
cises  as  strong  a  control  over  the  passions  of  his  hearers  as  Preston  him 
self  ;  and  I  presume  that  the  secret  of  his  failure  in  Congress,  is  an  in 
ability  to  extemporize.  He  drew  tears  to-day  from  the  stoutest  heart ; 
and  was  repeatedly  interrupted  by  deafening  shouts  of  applause,  which 
made  old  Faneuil  Hall  ring,  but  which  were  hardly  suitable  to  the  badges 
of  mourning  that  shrouded  the  walls.  His  oration  was  nearly  three 
hours  long,  and  I  was  extremely  sorry  when  he  got  to  the  close.  It  will, 
in  all  probability,  be  published ;  and  if  it  should  be,  I  will  send  you  a 
copy. 

"Mr.  Everett  is  a  very  small  man,  about  five  feet  seven  inches  high, 
and  withal  very  thin ;  but  his  countenance  is  strongly  marked.  The 
most  remarkable  feature  of  his  face  is  his  mouth ;  it  would  attract  at 
tention  the  moment  you  should  lay  your  eyes  upon  him  ;  it  is  exactly 
like  that  of  Dr.  Watts,  as  exhibited  in  his  portraits.  Everett's  eyes  are 
a  dark  blue,  and  have  the  cast  of  thought  and  study.  His  forehead  is 
full  and  finely  arched,  and  the  general  expression  of  his  countenance 
is  that  of  calm  meditation.  I  have  been  thus  minute  in  my  description, 
because  I  was  absolutely  charmed  with  the  man,  and  am  determined,  by 
some  means  or  other,  to  obtain  an  introduction  to  him. 


122         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

4 

"  There  was  an  immense  concourse  of  people  assembled  on  the  Com 
mon  ;  and  the  procession.  I  should  think,  was  a  mile  and  a  half  long, 
and  averaged  five  persons  in  width.  There  were  probably  four  or  five 
thousand  crowded  into  Fane  ail  Hall,  I  was  about  the  head  o.f  the  pro 
cession,  and  consequently  obtained  a  good  seat  near  the  orator.  As 
soon  as  I  got  into  Boston  I  found  out  the  order  of  arrangements.  Dis 
tinguished  strangers  were  invited  to  head  the  procession  :  and  as  this 
circumstance  gave  them  the  choice  of  seats,  Evans  and  myself  took  it 
into  our  heads  to  introduce  ourselves  to  the  marshal  as  belonging  to  this 
class.  We  did  the  thing  with  such  grace  that  the  claim  was  admitted, 
and  we  joined  the  line  with  John  Quincy  Adams,  Daniel  Webster,  and 
that  whole  tribe,  chuckling  all  the  while  over  our  new  bougut  dignity. 
I  breathed  the  atmosphere  of  greatness,  and  could  hardly  persuade  my 
self  that  I  was  simply  James  H.  TJiornwell,  once  pedagogue  in  the  Che- 
raw  Academy.  1  was  certainly  a  great  man,  but  had  not  been  fortunate 
enough  to  find  it  out,  until  I  found  myself  ranked  with  distinguished 
strangers  A  little  impudence  is  a  great  help  in  this  world.;  and  I  have 
called  in  its  aid  on  several  occasions  to  great  advantage,  since  I  have 
been  at  the  North. 

44 1  am  quite  cheerful  and  contented  in  Cambridge,  and  have  estab 
lished  something  of  a  character.  So  far  as  I  can  learn,  they  give  me 
credit  for  a  virtue  which  I  was  never  suspected  of  possessing  by  my 
friends  at  home,  and  that  is  modesty.  Evans  has  joined  the  Law-school, 
and  adds  considerably  to  my  enjoyment.  I  have,  besides,  a  pretty  ex 
tensive  circle  of  acquaintances  in  members  of  College  from  South  Caro 
lina,  and  am  winding  my  way  into  the  affections  of  the  natives  them 
selves.  I  am  an  intense  student,  and  am  making  rapid  progress  in 
Hebrew  and  Biblical  Literature.  I  average,  this  week,  fifteen  hours 
per  day ;  but  I  cannot  continue  to  apply  myself  at  that  rate,  for  I  begin 
to  experience  already  the  inconvenience  of  it,  manifested  by  indigestion 
and  a  slight  pain  in  my  chest.  I  shall  hereafter  study  about  thirteen 
hours  a  day,  and  exercise  freely ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  I  shall  be 
able  to  escape  all  ill  consequences.  I  attend  the  recitations  of  the  Di 
vinity  School,  and  derive  the  same  advantages  as  if  I  were  a  regular 
member,  without  being  subject  to  any  restrictions. 

"I  have  nearly  finished  my  article  for  the  North  American  Review, 
and  shall  probably  hand  it  in  about  the  first  of  October.     It  is  now  quar 
ter  past  one  o'clock,  and  I  must  bid  you  good-night. 
u  Sincerely  and  gratefully, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

The  associating  principle,  which  touches  the  springs  of 
memory  everywhere,  and  binds  together  our  knowledge 
and  experience — did  it  bring  back  the  incidents,  so  plea 
santly  related  in  the  above  letter,  at  a  later  day,  when, 
seated  by  the  side  of  the  man  here  so  greatly  wondered 


t  RESIDENCE  AT  CAMBRIDGE.  123 

at,  he  surprised  Mr.  Everett  by  a  remarkable  citation  in 
the  original,  from  Thucydides,  and  became  in  his^urn  the 
object  of  as  much  admiration  and  delight  ?  If  so,  lie  must 
have  mused  upon  those  strange  coincidents,  which  some 
times  bring  the  different  stages  of  our  life  into  such 
vividness  of  contrast,  as  almost  to  overbear  the  conviction 
of  our  identity,  and  make  us  feel  as  though  two  different 
beings  are  represented  in  them.  The  story  is  thus  told 
by  one  who  participated  in  the  interview :  "  In  the  year 
1857,  Mr.  Everett  was  in  Columbia,  to  deliver  his  cele 
brated  oration  on  Washington  ;  and  was  the  guest  of  that 
accomplished  gentleman,  the  Hon.  TV.  F.  Desaussure. 
Dr.  Thornwell  proposed  to  me  that  wre  should  go  together 
to  pay  our  respects  to  the  distinguished  stranger.  After 
being  introduced,  a  good  many  inquiries  were  made  about 
Cambridge,  and  the  literary  men  of  Boston;  when  the 
conversation  turned  upon  the  recurrence  of  certain  ideas 
in  different  eras  of  the  world.  Mr.  Everett  illustrated  it 
by  reference  to  a  passage  in  Thucydides,  which  he  ren 
dered  into  English.  Dr.  Thornwell  replied  by  quoting, 
in  the  original  Greek,  a  few  lines  from  the  same  author. 
Mr.  Everett  rejoined  once  more  in  English,  when  Dr. 
Thornwell  made  a  far  more  extended  quotation  from 
Thucydides,  in  the  Greek.  All  were  surprised  and  de 
lighted  at  the  exhibition  of  learning,  so  spontaneous  as  to 
be  free  from  the  suspicion  of  pedantry.  The  following 
day  Mr.  Desaussure  expatiated,  in  my  office,  in  praise  of 
1  our  Southern  giant.' "  We  relate  the  incident  in  this 
connection,  that  it  may  enjoy  all  the  light  of  contrast. 
But  to  resume  the  correspondence  of  this  period : 

"To  MR.  ALEXANDER  H.  PEGUES : 

"CAMBRIDGE,  September  11,  1834. 

"MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  Midnight  has  drawn  her  sable  curtain  over  half 
the  world  ;  and  1  seize  upon  this  hour  of  solemn  stillness  to  renew  my 
intercourse  with  a  cherished  friend.  There  are  a  thousand  ties  which 
link  the  race  in  harmony ;  but  the  affections  of  the  heart  cannot  be  sat 
isfied  with  expansive  action.  Like  the  rays  of  light  centred  in  a 


124:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

• 

burning  focus,  their  energies  must  all  be  directed  to  a  single  point,  to 
produce  the  maximum  of  happiness,  and  produce  the  fullest  develop 
ment  of  which  they  are  susceptible.  It  is  not  enough  to  love  the 
species ;  there  must  be  individuals  of  the  species,  whom  we  cherish 
with  peculiar  fondness.  A  candle  can  give  light  to  a  single  room,  but 
it  cannot  illuminate  the  world.  I  am  charmed  with  the  notion  of  uni 
versal  philanthropy,  and  am  as  anxious  as  most  men  to  diffuse  the 
means  of  knowledge  and  happiness  among  my  brethren  of  the  earth ; 
but  then  I  find  more  real  enjoyment  and  unmingled  felicity  in  the  nar 
rower  circle  of  domestic  affection  and  of  private  friendships.  I  am. 
willing  to  grant  that  love  to  the  species  should  be  the  main-spring  of 
all  our  actions  ;  but  then  I  maintain  that  love  to  the  species  accom 
plishes  its  end  only  through  the  medium  of  circumscribed  action  ;  that 
the  greatest  happiness  is  ultimately  produced  by  discharging  properly 
the  humble  duties  of  our  social  relations.  It  is  a  sad  misnomer  to  call 
dn  unfaithful  friend  or  a  cruel  husband  a  genuine  philanthropist.  The 
man  who  is  careless  of  his  own  household  is  hardly  able  to  take  care  of 
the  world  ;  and  the  man  who  loves  not  his  own  family  can  hardly  be 
expected  to  love  the  race.  -  He  is  the  best  philanthropist  who  is  the 
truest  friend,  the  most  faithful  husband,  the  most  tender  parent,  and 
affectionate  neighbour. 

"September  18,  183-t. 

"  Some  few  evenings  since,  as  you  observe,  I  commenced  an  epistle  to 
you,  but  have  forgotten  entirely  the  train  of  thought  which  was  then  in 
my  mind.  You  will  excuse  me,  therefore,  for  beginning  de  novo.  And 
I  must  be  in  a  pretty  considerable  hurry  ;  for  in  a  few  niinntes  I  have 
to  attend  a  party,  to  which  I  have  been  invited^  and  where  I  shall  see 
the  intelligence  and  beauty  of  Cambridge.  I  had  gotten  thus  far,  and 
was  interrupted  for  three  hours  by  company.  Meanwhile,  the  music 
of  the  party  has  struck  up,  and  I  am  rather  afraid  there  will  be  dancing. 
If  there  should  be,  I  most  assuredly  shall  not  go.  You  remember  the 
eloquent  declamation  of  Cicero  upon  the  subject,  when  a  Roman  Sena 
tor  was  publicly  impeached  for  the  heinous  offence  of  using  his  legs  too 
lightly.  There  is  neither  rhyme  nor  reason  in  '  capering  nimbly  over  a 
lady's  chamber,  to  the  lascivious  pleasing  of  a  lute.'  I  am  an  open  and 
avowed  enemy  to  the  sport,  because  I  believe  that  it  is  an  enemy  to  the 
best  and  most  substantial  interests  of  man.  Just  think  of  it  soberly,  and 
at  the  least,  it  cannot  but  appear  ridiculous.  And  yet,  like  most  other 
follies,  it  is  fatally  contagious;  and  men  freely  indulge  in  it  without 
being  aware  of  its  enormity.  It  is  an  insult  to  God,  who  has  made  us 
beings  of  intellectual  dignity  ;  it  is  an  abuse  of  our  own  persons,  and  a 
prostration  of  our  own  powers.  It  is  all  nonsense  to  call  it  an  amuse 
ment  ;  it  has  no  claim  nor  title  to  the  appellation.  That  only  is  properly 
amusement  which  relaxes  the  mind  after  laborious  toil ;  which  refreshes 
its  exhausted  energies,  and  preserves  it  from  the  listlessness  incident  to 
fatigue.  But  is  this  a  characteristic  of  dancing  ?  Is  it  not  a  mere  inven 
tion  to  kill  time  ?  Yours  sincerely,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 


.  RESIDENCE  AT  CAMBKIDOE.  125 

To  the  same : 

"CAMBRIDGE,  October  1,  1834. 

"  MY  DEAK  FBLEND  :  I  received  your  letter  this  afternoon,  and  was 
glad  to  find  that  you  had  not  entirely  forgotten  me  ;  though  I  had  be 
gun  to  suspect  that  the  probabilities  of  hearing  directly  from  you  were 
exceedingly  faint.  You  have  misapprehended  Dr.  Whately's  object,  in 
in  his  *  Historic  Doubts  concerning  Napoleon.'  His  design  was  to  show 
that  the  very  same  arguments  which  are  directed  against  the  miracles  of 
Christianity,  can  be  applied  with  equal  force  against  the  existence  of 
Buonaparte;  that  the  one  cannot  be  admitted  or  rejected  with  consis 
tency,  without  admitting  or  rejecting  the  other.  The  stand  which  Mr. 
Hume  and  his  followers  have  taken  in  regard  to  our  Saviour's  miracles 
is,  that  an  event,  in  itself  improbable,  is  incapable  of  being  proved  by 
testimony  ;  that  its  inherent  improbability  is  a  standing  and  unanswer 
able  argument  against  it.  On  the  same  grounds,  such  men  must  have 
rejected  the  existence  of  Napoleon,  as  an  event  in  itself  improbable ; 
but  all  men  have  admitted  this  fact ;  and  therefore,  the  conclusion  is 
irresistible,  that  adequate  testimony  is  sufficient  to  establish  any  fact, 
however  improbable  it  may  appear.  It  was,  consequently,  Dr.  Whate- 
ley's  object  to  show  that  Hume's  reasoning  proved  too  much,  and  conse 
quently'  proved  nothing ;  that  it  proved  not  only  that  Jesus  Christ 
wrought  no  miracles,  but  that  Napoleon  Buonaparte  never  lived  or  died. 
I  look  upon  the  pamphlet  as  one  of  the  happiest  effusions  of  well-sus 
tained  irony  that  I  have  ever  read.  I  was  delighted  with  it,  and  there 
fore  sent  it  to  you. 

"  The  more  I  examine  Hume's  celebrated  argument  against  miracles, 
the  more  I  am  satisfied  that  it  is  utterly  untenable  and  fallacious.  A  law 
of  nature  is  only  a  compendious  expression  for  uniformity  in  the  appear 
ances  of  nature.  To  say,  therefore,  that  anything  violates  a  la\v  of  na 
ture,  is  only  to  say  that  it  does  not  conform  with  the  general  appear 
ances.  Our  knowledge  of  nature's  laws  depends  upon  the  testimony 
of  our  senses ;  our  knowledge  of  a  miracle  depends  upon  the  testimony 
of  the  senses  of  other  men.  There  is,  therefore,  the  same  ground  for 
believing  in  a  miracle,  as  for  believing  in  the  laws  of  nature.  One  is, 
the  usual  appearance  of  nature  ;  the  other,  an  unusual  appearance.  We 
know  both  from  the  evidence  of  sense.  A  man,  therefore,  who  denies 
a  miracle,  ought,  in  consistency,  to  disbelieve  the  laws  of  nature ;  they 
both  rest  on  the  same  grounds  ;  there  is  no  difference  between  them, 
except  that  one  is  uniform  ;  the  other  is  not.  This  uniformity  can  make 
no  difference,  because  we  know  it  only  from  the  evidence  of  sense. 

"  This  is  a  meagre  skeleton  of  the  direct  argument  with  which  I  would 
meet  infidelity  ;  the  indirect  would  be  drawn  from  the  nature  and  attri 
butes  of  God ;  but  it  is  quite  unnecessary  to  touch  upon  it  here,  I 
should  pay  but  a  poor  compliment  to  your  understanding,  if  I  thought 
you  were  in  danger  of  being  ensnared  by  the  sophisms  of  Hume,  which 
are  now  universally  abandoned,  even  by  Free-thinkers  themselves.  The 


126  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

recorded  experience  of  the  world  is  a  living  testimony  against  his  doc 
trines  ;  and  no  man  who  mingles  in  the  world  can  act  upon  his  prin 
ciples. 

"  You  do  not  overrate  the  advantages  of  Cambridge,  but  you  certainly 
underrate  those  of  South  Carolina.  There  are  no  more  facilities  here  for 
acquiring  an  education,  than  there  are  among  us  ;  and  I  had  just  as  soon 
send  a  son  to  Columbia  as  to  Cambridge.  A  large  library  is  far  from 
being  an  advantage  to  under-graduates.  They  are  indiscreet  and  impru 
dent  in  their  selection  of  books  ;  and  where  there  are  so  many  volumes, 
they  leave  the  hall  very  often  without  knowing  what  to  choose.  A  large 
library  is  a  help  to  scholars,  in  the  way  of  reference  and  consultation ; 
but  to  no  other  men,  and  in  no  other  way. 

' '  On  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  October,  I  shall  set  sail  for  Charles 
ton,  and  shall  be  in  Cheraw  about  the  20th. or  21st.  I  regret  very  much 
to  leave  Harvard  ;  but  I  am  compelled  to  do  so.  I  am  delightfully  situ 
ated  here ;  and  should  be  exceedingly  happy,  under  other  circumstan 
ces,  to  spend  two  or  three  years.  A  physician  of  Boston  has  assured 
me  that  it  would  be  certain  death  for  me  to  try  a  Northern  winter  ;  and 
I  have  already  suffered  nearly  as  much  from  the  cold,  as  I  ever  did  in 
South  Carolina.  The  climate,  for  the  last  two  weeks,  has  been  very 
variable  ;  sometimes  very  piercing,  and  sometimes  pleasant.  I  have 
consequently  determined  not  to  risk  my  health,  but  to  return  as  early  as 
I  safely  can.  I  start  rather  earlier  than  I  expected,  on  account  of  the 
uncertainties  of  a  sea  voyage.  I  am  anxious,  too,  to  be  present  at  your 
sister's  nuptials,  and  shall  bend  all  my  efforts  to  reach  Cheraw  in  time. 
"  Your  sincere  friend, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


CHAPTER   X. 

FIRST  PASTORATE. 

LICENSURE.— SETTLEMENT  IN  LANCASTER.— SPIRITUAL  CONFLICT.— CHAR 
ACTER  OF  HIS  EARLY  PREACHING. — EXTRAORDINARY  ASCENDANCY  OVER 
HIS  AUDIENCE.— His  SINGULAR  POWER  OF  ILLUMINATING  THE  WHOLE 
GOSPEL. — His  BEARING  AS  A  PASTOR. — MARRIAGE. — DEATH  OF  HIS 
FIRST  CHILD.— COMPLETE  FORMATION  OF  CHARACTER.— DEVELOPMENT 
OF  PIETY.— EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  PRIVATE  JOURNAL.— CONFESSION  AND 
PRAYER. 

MR.  THORNWELL  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel, 
by  the  Presbytery  of  Harmony,  met  at  Tolerant 
Church,  in  the  bounds  of  Beaver  Creek  congregation,  on 
the  28th  of  November,  1834::  exactly  one  year  from  the 
time  he  was  taken  under  the  Presbytery's  care.  His 
examination  was  eminently  satisfactory ;  and  very  unusual 
encomiums  were  pronounced  upon  his  ability  and  pro 
ficiency,  by  the  members  of  the  court,  in  rendering  their 
decision  upon  the  parts  of  trial.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Goulding, 
then  Professor  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Columbia, 
is  -reported  as  saying,  "  Brethren,  I  feel  like  sitting  at  this 
young  man's  feet,  as  a  learner : "  a  very  sweet  expression 
of  humility,  on  the  part  of  one  whom  the  Church  was 
honouring  with  an  office  of  the  highest  responsibility  and 
trust;  but  also  a  wonderful  testimony  to  the  attainments 
of  the  young  theologian  which  drew  it  forth. 

His  first  settlement  was,  however,  within  the  bounds  of 
a  different  Presbytery.  Certain  gentlemen  from  the  vil 
lage  of  Lancaster  were  present  at  this  examination,  and 
bore  away  with  them  such  impressions  as  determined 
eventually  his  location.  On  the  8th  of  April,  1835,  a, 
church  was  organized  in  this  village,  by  the  Presbytery  of 
Bethel,  which  immediately  made  overtures  to  Mr.  Thorn- 

127 


128  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

well  to  become  its  pastor.  Accordingly,  on  the  llth  of 
June,  he  was  transferred  as  a  licentiate  from  the  Presby 
tery  of  Harmony  to  that  of  Bethel ;  and  on  the  following 
day  he  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  over  the  infant 
church.  His  labours  were  not,  however,  restricted  within 
this  narrow  sphere.  The  old  mother  church  of  Waxhaw, 
and  the  church  of  Six-Mile  creek,  in  the  same  District  of 
Lancaster,  enjoyed  his  occasional,  if  not  his  constant, 
ministrations ;  and  in  April,  1836,  having  made  out  sepa 
rate  calls,  they  were  united  with  the  church  at  Lancas- 
terville  in  a  joint  pastoral  charge;  and  the  installation 
services  were  performed  by  Rev.  Messrs.  J.  B.  Davies  and 
Pierpont  E.  Bishop,  as  a  Committee  of  the  Presbytery. 

The  reader  has  observed  the  spiritual  conflict  through 
which  our  friend  passed  in  his  earlier  years,  and  the  gra 
dual  ascendency  which  the  gospel  gained  over  his  char 
acter  and  life.  He  will  not,  therefore,  be  surprised  to 
•find  these  culminating  in  one  last  struggle,  which  would 
seem  to  terminate  the  discipline  of  this  preparatory  pe 
riod.  The  letters,  too,  which  have  been  given,  reveal  his 
towering  ambition,  which  had  been  fed  by  constant  and 
brilliant  success  in  academic  competitions.  What  more 
likely  than  that  this  tremendous  passion  should  gather  up 
all  its  force,  to  deter  him  from  a  calling  in  which  it  may 
not  lawfully  be  indulged  ?  What  more  probable  than 
that  conscience  should  itself  shrink  back  in  alarm,  from 
the  responsibility  of  the  sacred  office,  not  measured  in  its 
awful  magnitude  until  it  is  about  to  be  assumed  ?  What 
more  in  keeping  with  the  artifice  and  malignity  of  Satan, 
than  that,  at  such  a  crisis,  he  should  seize  upon  all  that 
is  good,  as  well  as  all  that  is  evil,  within  us,  and  array 
them  against  a  decision  by  which  he  is  discomfited  for 
ever  ?  It  is  a  fearful  struggle  when,  once  for  all,  a  noble 
spirit  brings  its  longing  after  fame,  and  lays  it  down  a 
perpetual  sacrifice  to  conscience  and  to  God.  For  though 
the  pulpit  has  its  honours  and  rewards,  woe !  woe !  to 
the  man  who  enters  it  under  this  temptation : 


FIRST  PASTORATE.  129 

' '  To  gaze  at  his  own  splendour,  and  exalt, 
Absurdly,  not  his  office,  but  himself." 

The  shadow  of  a  fearful  curse  falls  upon  him  who  "  does 
this  work  of  the  Lord  deceitfully  : "  upon  him  who  cannot 
with  a  purged  eye  look  beyond  the  meed  of  human  ap 
plause,  to  the  benediction  of  the  great  Master,  as  his  final 
crown. 

Dr.  Thornwell  relates,  that  such  was  the  apprehension 
of  his  soul  in  what  he  was  about  to  do,  that  he  appeared 
before  the  Presbytery  with  a  half-cherished  hope  they 
would  reject  him ;  arid  thus  the  Church  would  assume  the 
responsibility  of  releasing  him  from  the  pressure  of  the 
Apostle's  woe.  In  this  apprehension  he  has,  however, 
only  entered  within  the  shadow,  of  the  cloud  which  was 
yet  to  darken  upon  him.  The  authority  of  the  Church 
has  sent  him  forth  to  preach  the  Word,  and  a  hungry 
charge  beckons  from  the  distance  to  come  and  o;ive  it  the 

O  O 

bread  of  life.  In  his  solitary  -way,  as  he  journeys  along, 
in  the  beautiful  spring,  terrible  thoughts  settle  upon  his 
mind,  which  he  cannot  conjure  away.  What  if,  after  all, 
he  should  not  be  a  converted  man !  What,  if  it  should 
be  a  profane  touch  that  he  was  to  give  to  the*  ark  of  God ! 
What,  if  he  was  going  up  to  the  place  and  people  of  the 
Lord,  and  His  presence  was  not  with  him !  What,  if  the 
ministry  should  prove  to  him  an  iron  bondage,  and, 
having  preached  to  others,  he  should  be  himself  a  cast 
away  ?  And  so  he  journeyed  on,  like  Saul  to  Damascus, 
with  the  deep  midnight  upon  his  soul.  At  the  end  of  a 
day's  travel  he  restej.  under  the  hospitable  roof  of  a  pious 
elder,  to  whom  he  opened  all  the  sorrow.  But  no  com 
fort  came  from  all  the  comfort  that  was  spoken.  The 
good  elder  could  succeed  only  in  exacting  a  promise,  at 
parting,  that  he  would  go  on  to  his  appointment;  and  if 
the  Lord,  in  answer  to  prayer,  did  not  make  his  duty 
plain,  why,  then,  he  need  not  preach.  The  place  is 
reached ;  he  enters  the  pulpit,  with  "  the  great  horror  of 
darkness"  resting  upon  him  still.  It  is  the  garden  of 


130         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

Gethsemane  to  this  young  but  chosen  servant  of  the  Lord, 
who  must  here  learn  to  drink  of  the  Saviour's  cup,  and  be 
baptized  with  His  baptism.  He  rises  to  preach ;  and  now 
the  time  has  come  for  the  revelation  of  the  Saviour's 
love.  Through  a  rift  in  the  gloom,  there  rushes  down 
upon  him  such  a  sense  of  his  acceptance  with  God  as  was 
overpowering.  The  assurance  and  the  joy  overflowed 
into  the  discourse,  which  poured  the  sacred  oil  over  the 
assembly;  until  some  gathered  unconsciously  near  the 
pulpit,  in  breathless  suspense  upon  the  young  prophet's 
lips.  He  was  from  that  moment  anointed  to  a  life-work, 
which  is  precious  in  its  record  here,  and — above.* 

His  early  preaching  was  not  dry  and  scholastic,  as 
many  predicted  it  would  be.  On  the  contrary,  one  of 
his  habitual  Jiearers  describes  it  as  "  intensely  practical 
and  plain ;  nothing  abstract.  The  impression  in  my  mind, 
now,  is  that  of  earnest  expostulation  with  sinners.  IsTow, 
to-day,  is  the  day  of  salvation.  He  was  very  earnest ;  his 
eye  kindled  with  intense  excitement ;  his  whole  -  frame 
quivered.  His  sermons  created  great  enthusiasm  among 
the  people  of  all  denominations,  who  crowded  into  the 
little  church1  until  it  overflowed."  Another  writes  :  "Mr. 
Thornwell's  sermons,  from  the  commencement  of  his 
preaching,  were  profound,  logical,  and  eloquent.  He 
gestured  more  with  both  arms  than  he  did  in  after  life, 
and  there  was  more  vehemence  of  action."  Indeed,  it  is 
the  opinion  of  many  who  knew  him  intimately  through 
his  whole  career,  that,  for  popular  effect,  those  early  dis 
courses  were  never  surpassed  by  the  riper  productions  of 
his  later  years.  Though  his  learning  became  more  va 
rious  and  his  discussions  more  profound,  yet  the  first 
impressions  of  his  oratory  were  never  transcended.  We 
suspect,  however,  that  it  was  largely  changed  in  its  char- 

*  The  incident  is  given  precisely  as  it  was  first  related  to  us.  Another 
authority  places  it  a  little  later  in  his  early  ministry,  and  substitutes  a 
minister  for  the  elder  as  his  adviser  and  "friend.  This  slight  discrepancy 
rather  confirms,  than  weakens,  the  occurrence  of  the  fact. 


FIRST  PASTORATE.  131 

acter.  It  was  eloquence  of  a  higher  order  that  he  after 
wards  obtained,  though' less  attractive  to  the  multitude. 
A  severer  taste,  and  a  deeper  religious  experience,  led 
him  to  disregard  the  graces  of  rhetoric,  with  which  at* first 
he  had  charmed  a  popular  assembly.  His  eloquence  dug 
for  itself  a  deeper  channel  than  in  his  earlier  years,  and 
poured  itself  in  a  much  broader  flood;  rather  overwhelm 
ing  by  its  majesty,  than  attracting  by  its  grace. 

In  proof  of  the  ascendency  he  always  gained  over  the 
minds  of  his  hearers,  the  following  incident  may  be  re 
lated,  in  the  very  words  given  to  us  :  "  Soon  after  he  came 
among  us,  the  time  arrived  for  the  regular  semi-annual 
communion  at  the  Waxhaw  Church.  It  had  always  been 
customary  for  neighbouring  pastors  to  assist  each  other 
at  these  meetings.  Our  young  pastor  commenced .  on 
Friday  morning, 'the  usual  time,  without  any  assistance. 
One  of  our  venerable  elders,  who  did  not  arrive  till  Sat- 
turday  morning,  was  displeased  with  this  course,  thinking 
it  presumptuous  in  him  to  suppose  the  people  would  be 
content  without  the  usual  variety,  to  which,  on  such  occa 
sions,  they  were  accustomed.  But  after  listening  to  the 
morning  discourse,  the  old  gentleman  approached  those 
to  whom  he  had  expressed  his  dissatisfaction,  and  said : 
4 1  am  very  glad  now,  that  no  other  minister  is  here.'  The 
sermon  was  from  the  text, i  A  man  that  hath  friends  must 
show  himself  friendly ;  and  there  is  a  friend  that  sticketh 
closer  than  a  brother.' "  A  sermon  from  this  text,  doubt 
less  the  same,  was  one  of  the  earliest  that  the  writer  him 
self  heard  from  the, lips  of  his  friend;  and  portions  of  it 
are  distinctly  remembered  at  this  day,  across  the  interval 
of  three  and  thirty  years. 

His  sermons  at  this  period  seldom  exceeded  thirty 
minutes  in  length,  though  they  afterwards  stretched  to 
the  orthodox  sixty.  But  he  was  sometimes  borne  beyond 
himself,  as  in  the  case  now  to  be  recited,  and  which  affords 
a-  better  illustration  than  the  preceding  of  his  immense 
power  over  an  audience.  We  draw  upon  the  same  testi- 


132  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

mony  as  before  :  "  On  Sabbath  morning  his  text  was,  '  It 
is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that 
Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners.'  It  was 
one*  of  his  finest  efforts.  When  he  had  been  preaching 
for  an  hour  and  a  half,  he  took  out  his  watch,  stopped 
suddenly,  and  apologized  to  the  congregation,  saying  he 
had  no  idea  he  had  been  speaking  so  long.  The  cry 
rose  at  once,  from  all  parts  of  the  house,  i  Go  on !  go  on  P 
And  he  did  go  on  for  nearly  an  hour  more."  Remem 
bering  how  staid  a  Presbyterian  congregation  usually  is, 
and  restrained  by  the  sanctities  of  the  sanctuary,  this  out 
burst  of  enthusiasm,  breaking  over  all  conventional  pro 
prieties,  was  no  slight  tribute  to  the  power  of  the  orator. 
But  the  charm  of  the  story  remains  yet  to  be  unfolded. 
"  My  father,"  adds  the  witness,  "  a  very  old  gentleman, 
was  present.  A  few  days  afterwards  he  sent  for  me, 
saying,  <  I  want  to  talk  to  you  about  that  sermon.  My 
son,  if  you  ever  had  a  doubt  about  the  truth  and  perfec 
tion  of  the  plan  of  salvation,  you  surely  can  have  none 
now.  I  have  been  studying  that  subject  all  my  life,  but 
I  never  saw  it  before  as  I  do  now.  Now  I  am  ready  to 
die,  that  I  may  enter  upon  its  full  enjoyment.3  He  never 
was  able  to  attend  church  again;  and  eternity  alone  will 
reveal  the  comfort  and  instruction  which  that  one  sermon 
gave  to  this  aged  servant  of  God ;  how  it  smoothed  his 
pathway  to  the  tomb,  and  lighted  up  his  future  with  hope. 
Scores  and  hundreds  of  others  have  been  similarly  pro 
fited,  as  they  hung  upon  the  truth  from  his  lips." 

This  affecting  narrative  brings  to  view  one  feature  of 
Dr.  Thornwell's  preaching,  which  may  as  well  be  signal 
ized  here  as  elsewhere.  It  was  the  power  he  possessed 
of  sometimes  illuminating  the  whole  gospel  in  a  single 
discourse.  We  enter,  for  example,  a  chamber  at  twilight ; 
and,  with  a  dim,  uncertain  vision,  recognize  the  furniture 
and  appointments.  Each  object  is  disclosed,  but  in  faint 
outline ;  and  the  relation  of  the  parts  to  each  other  can  be 
but  imperfectly  traced.  Suddenly  a  taper  is  applied  to  a 


VIKST  PASTORATE.  133 

single  burner,  and  one  jet  of  flame  is  sufficient  to  light  up 
the  whole.  Every  article  in  the  room  presents  its  clear 
profile  to  the  eye ;  all  is  brought  out  from  the  shadow  into 
bold  relief;  and  the  total  effect  is  taken  in  at  a  glance 
from  the  grouping,  which  discloses  the  taste  and  dispo 
sition  of  the  occupant.  Just  so,  the  truths  to  which  we 
have  been  listening  all  our  lives  are  disposed  in  a  certain 
catechetical  order  in  our  mind,  yet  fragmentary  and  dis 
jointed.  How  often  will  a  single  paragraph  in  a  book,  or 
a  single  utterance  of  the  living  voice,  light  them  up  with 
a  new  clearness,  and  show  them  in  the  beauty  and  power 
of  an  organic  unity,  as  parts  of  a  comprehensive  and  har 
monious  system.  This  faculty  Dr.  Thornwell  possessed, 
in  a  degree  which  marked  no  other  man  whom  it  has 
been  our  privilege  to  know  or  hear.  His  power  of 
analysis  stripped  every  subject  of  all  that  was  adven 
titious  or  collateral.  He  removed  skilfully  every  sucker 
shooting  out  from  the  stem  of  his  doctrine,  and  exposed 
at  once  the  living  germ  from  which  all  growth  and 
development  sprung.  With  this  ultimate  principle  in 
the  grasp,  the  hearer  had  the  key  to  unlock  the  entire 
subject;  with  the  thread  of  Ariadne  in  his  lingers,  he  was 
guided  safely  through  all  the  intricacies  of  the  longest 
discussion  into  which  it  might  afterwrards  expand.  As 
every  system,  too,  however  complex,  must  hang  upon  a 
few  cardinal  postulates,  it  was  his  delight  to  seize  upon 
those  which  were  fundamental  in  Christianity,  and,  with 
amazing  constructive  skill,  build  up  the  grand  temple 
before  the  eyes  of  his  audience,  laying  beam  upon  beam, 
and  stone  upon  stone,  and  "bringing  forth  the  head 
stone  thereof,  with  shoutings  of,  Grace,  grace  unto  it."  A 
good  illustration  of  this  tendency  of  mind  is  furnished  in 
his  Inaugural  Discourse,  when  inducted  into  the  Theo 
logical  chair  in  the  Seminary  at  Columbia,  in  whicli  lie 
attempts  to  denote  "  the  central  principle  of  theology," 
which  brings  its  diversified  matter  into  such  "  unity  of 
relation  as  constitutes  it  properly  a  science."  This  was 


134        LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

a  constant  attribute  of  his  preaching;  which  had  a  value 
beyond  the  demonstration  of  single  truths,  in  supplying 
the  nexus  which  bound  them  together  in  unity  and  com 
pleteness.  From  this  cause  it  happened  that,  in  his 
various  travels,  wherever  he  would  tarry  for  a  Sabbath,  a 
single  sermon  proved  to  so  many  a  life-event,  from  which 
a  new  Christian  experience  was  developed.  Hundreds 
of  such  are  to  be  found  through  this  broad  land  ;  and  not 
until  they  shall  sit  down  with  him  upon  the  Mount  of 
God,  can  he  know  in  how  many  blessed  experiences  his 
earthly  ministry  was  blent.  There  is  power  in  genius; 
and  where  it  is  sanctified  by  grace,  and  wielded  as  an  in 
strument  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  there  is  nothing  beneath  the 
skies  that  is  half  so  grand — nothing  before  which  the 
human  soul  bows  with  so  much  of  deference  and  love. 

**  Yes ;  to  thy  tongue  shall  seraph  words  be  given, 
And  power  on  earth  to  plead  the  cause  of  Heaven ; 
The  proud,  the  cold  untroubled  heart  of  stone, 
That  never  mused  on  sorrow  but  its  .own, 
Unlocks  a  generous  store  at  thy  command, 
Like  Horeb's  rock  beneath  the  prophet's  hand." 

Mr.  Thornwell,  during  his  pastorate,  resided  in  the 
village  of  Lancaster,  where  a  neat  church  building  was 
soon  erected  under  his  auspices.  The  Waxhaw  Church 
was  distant  about  eight  miles ;  and  the  Six-Mile  charge, 
about  eighteen  miles.  These  distances,  however,  were 
easily  covered  by  a  fleet  horse,  which  rejoiced  in  the 
soubriquet  of  "Red  Rover,"  and  was  habitually  driven 
at  the  speed  of  ten  and  twelve  miles  an  hour.  "  This 
was,  however,  no  cruelty  to  the  horse,"  writes  the  chro 
nicler  of  this  period ;  "  it  was  only  in  keeping  with  the 
spirit  and  mettle  of  the  animal;"  but  adds  he,  somewhat 
quaintly,  "it  gave  our  pastor  the  appearance  of  being 
a  little  fast."  Poor  Red  Rover  was  before  long  of 
fered  a  sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  love ;  for  upon  the 
master's  marriage,  the  friends  of  the  lady  could  by  no 
means  consent  for  her  to  ride  at  such  break-neck  speed, 


FIRST  PASTORATE.  135 

and  behind  a  horse  of  which  all  but  the  owner  were 
afraid.  Character  is  most  displayed  in  little  things.  It 
is  an  illustration  of  Mr.  Thornwell's  conscientiousness, 
that,  when  compelled  to  part  reluctantly  with  his  fa 
vourite  steed,  though  offered  fifty  per  cent,  more,  he 
would  take  only  one  hundred  dollars,  which  he  consi 
dered  his  money  value. 

Whilst  indulging  this  gossip,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to 
state,  that  Dr.  Thornwell  exhibited  through  life  one  mark 
of  extravagance,  in  always  having  the  best  of  everything 
in  its  kind.  Indeed,  it  was  his  doctrine  that  the  best  was 
always  the  cheapest.  He  always  concurred  with  Car- 
lyle  in  his  denunciation  of  "  the  cheap  and  nasty ; " 
which,  like  Carlyle,  he  pushed  in  many  directions,  and 
made  it  the  measure  of  men  and  principles,  as  well  as  of 
things.  Still,  it  was  with  him  very  much  a  matter  of 
taste.  He  always  bought  the  best  editions  of  books; 
wore  clothing  of  the  finest  texture;  was  fond  of  fine 
horses;  and  smoked  always  the  best  brands.  To  illus 
trate  his  epicurianism  as  to  the  last  named,  the  writer 
once  offered  him  a  cigar,  such  as  he  was  himself  smoking 
at  the  time,  and  as  good  in  quality  as  he  felt  he  could 
afford.  After  drawing  two  or  three  whiffs,  it  was  pitched 
impatiently  through  the  window,  with  the  exclamation, 
"  Any  man  who  will  smoke  such  cigars  will  steal ! "  The 
anecdote  will  be  excused  its  want  of  dignity,  if  it  shows 
the  freedom  and  .dash  of  his  raillery  towards  those  whom 
he  loved. 

He  was  scarcely  less  dear  as  a  pastor  to  the  people  of 
his  charge,  than  admired  as  a  preacher.  The  morbid 
sensibility,  and  recoil  upon  himself,  of  past  years,  have 
entirely  disappeared.  The  Rubicon  is  passed;  he  has 
irrappled  with  life,  and  deals  with  its  realities  rather  than 
with  its  dreams.  The  preliminary  fear  of  the  battle  has 
subsided  with  the  h'rst  shock  of  arms,  and  he  feels  the 
sUTii  joy  of  the  encounter.  His  initiation  into  life  was, 
too,  of  the  nature  of  a  triumph.  Everywhere  sought, 


136  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKXWELL. 

admired,  caressed;  all  things  conspired  to  draw  out  the 
original  simplicity  and  guilelessness  of  his  nature.  His 
constitutional  buoyancy  of  spirits  bore  him  on  its  flood, 
and  the  native  gaiety  of  his  disposition  sparkled  through 
his  whole  demeanour.  Wherever  his  social  visits  were 
dispensed,  he  romped  with  the  children,  and  bantered  the 
middle-aged  with  sportive  wit;  whilst  those  who  needed 
comfort  and  advice  were  met  with  genial  sympathy,  and 
with  instruction  which  could  not  be  exceeded  in  its  rich 
ness.  Men  stopped  to  wonder  at  him  as  he  passed  along 
the  streets,  striving  to  put  together  the  solemnity  of  his 
pulpit  utterances  and  the  exuberant  pleasantry  of  the 
private  companion.  Many,  perhaps,  had  to  unlearn  some 
of  the  old,  stereotyped  lessons  of  cant,  and  make  the  dis 
tinction  between  a  genuine  zeal  and  the  sanctimonious 
Pharisaism  that  hides  in  the  folds  of  a  white  cravat,  and 
in  the  stiff  precision  of  an  artificial  saintliness.  But 
the  result  was  the  combined  respect  and  love  of  all;  who 
were  as  much  won  by  the  artless  demeanour  of  the  week, 
as  by  the  stormy  eloquence  of  the  Sabbath.  In  proof, 
however,  that  all  this  playfulness  was  but  the  unbending 
of  a  serious  mind,  a  single  question  or  word  was  sufficient 
to  call  it  back  to  the  earnestness  and  gravity  which  were 
habitual.  Says  the  friend  who  has  furnished  most  of 
these  sketches :  "  He  was  an  inmate  of  my  family,  and  I 
then  knew  him  intimately.  Only  those  who  have  enjoyed 
a  similar  privilege  can  appreciate  the  delight  his  society 
afforded.  My  rule  was  to  ask  him  a  question,  and,  as  he 
undertook  to  answer  it,  his  mind  would  turn  fully  to  the 
subject,  and  his  discourse  would  be  intensely  fascinating 
as  well  as  instructive."  The  rapidity  with  which  he 
could  pass  from  the  gay  to  the  severe,  and  exchange  the 
play  of  wit  for  the  most  abstract  and  elaborate  reasoning, 
all  can  testify  who  were  ever  admitted  into  his  confidence. 
The  writer  has  a  thousand  times  admired  the  self-mastery 
thus  displayed  in  the  perfect  control  of  his  own  modes  of 
feeling  and  of  thought. 


FIRST  PASTORATE.  137 

'  On  the  3d  December,  1835,  Mr.  Thornwell  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Nancy  White  Witherspooii,  second 
daughter  of  Colonel  James  II.  Witherspoon,  of  Lancaster 
District.  Colonel  Witherspoon  was  one  of  the  leading 
men  in  the  District,  and  not  without  distinction  in  the 
State;  having  served  as  Lieutenant-Go vernor,  and  was  a 
candidate  for  Congress,  with  every  prospect  of  being- 
elected,  when  he  was  stricken  by  paralysis,  which  termi 
nated  in  death.  He  was  a  man  of  large  views,  of  great 
energy  and  enthusiasm,  and  possessed  an  almost  un 
bounded  popularity.  Mr.  Thornwell  gained  easy  admis 
sion  into  his  household,  not  only  by  his  official  relations 
as  a  pastor,  but  through  an  intimacy  with  two  of  his  sons 
in  college,  one  of  whom  was  his  class-mate.  Though 
Colonel  Witherspoon,  with  the  worldly  prudence  that 
guides  most  men  in  disposing  their  daughters  in  mar 
riage,  saw  what  looked  little  better  than  starvation  in  a 
salary  of  six  hundred  a  year,  still,  he  could  not  refuse 
domestic  alliance  to  a  young  man  whom  he  openly  pro 
claimed  intellectually  the  equal  of  Mr.  McDuffie  or  Mr. 
Calhoun.  From  the  time  of  marriage  the  happy  couple 
took  up  their  abode  in  the  family  mansion,  till  their  re 
moval  to  a  different  home.  By  this  union,  a  true  help 
meet  was  provided  for  one  whose  gifts  and  whose  calling 
required  that  he  should  not  be  entangled  in  the  things  of 
this  life.  Mrs.  Thornwell's  sound  judgment  and  practical 
wisdom  were  a  valuable  check  upon  the  ardent  tem 
perament  and  too  confiding  generosity  of  her  husband. 
Her  prudence  and  skilful  management  released  him  from 
domestic  cares,  to  meet  the  exactions  of  his  public  sta 
tion  ;  while  her  womanly  grace  and  cheerful  disposition 
threw  a  serene  charm  about  his  home,  in  which  his  spirits 
found  always  a  perfect  repose.  No  man  had  better  reason 
to  know  the  truth  of  Solomon's  assertion,  that  "  a  prudent 
wife  is  from  the  Lord."  The  happiness  of  these  early 
years  was  darkened  only  by  a  single  sorrow,  the  death  of 
their  first-lforn,  at  the  age  of  three  months.  This  visi- 


138  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

tation  drew  from  his  friend  and  patron,  Mr.  Bobbins,  the 
following  expression  of  sympathy  and  affection : 

"MY  DEAR  JAMES:  I  have  just  received  your  letter,  conveying  the 
afflictive  intelligence  of  the  loss  of  your  dear  babe.  We  are  both  much 
afflicted  by  this  unexpected  calamity,  and  desire  to  join  our  sympathies 
in  the  sorrows  of  the  parents.  We  can  do  so  most  deeply  and  affec 
tionately.  We  know  what  it  is  to  watch  the  gradual  unfolding  of  th& 
physical  and  intellectual  faculties  of  a  dear  child,  a  first  child,  aii  only 
child ;  and  in  the  full  flood-tide  of  our  enjoyment,  to  have  the  dear  ob 
ject  of  our  love  snatched  from  our  presence  and  our  care.  Such  a  loss 
is  heart-rending  indeed  ;  and  the  mourner  is  disposed  to  attach  little 
value  to  other  blessings  of  life,  for  a  season,  since  the  greatest  has  been 
withdrawn.  But  a  short  time  and  a  little  reflection  will  dispel  the  black 
ness  of  the  cloud,  and  show  us  a  clear  and  serene  sky  beyond  it.  We 
do  know,  James,  that  our  heavenly  Parent,  whose  love  to  us  surpasses 
that  of  a  woman  to  the  child  of  her  bosom,  is  the  immediate  Author  of 
these  bereavements.  We  do  know  that  He  never  afflicts  willingly,  or 
grieves  the  children  of  men ;  always  for  some  cause — great,  good,  ade 
quate  cause.  What  this  cause  is,  it  is  our  privilege  and  our  duty  to 
inquire.  Sometimes  it  is  wisely  withheld  from  our  search  ;  but  fre 
quently,  very  frequently,  it  is  within  the  reach  of  our  reflection.  It 
may  be  in  mercy  to  the  child,  to  rescue  it  from  a  more  dreadful  calamity 
which  would  have  attended  it  in  life ;  it  may  be  in  mercy  to  the  paren,, 
to  spare  the  more  acute  suffering  at  beholding  an  unworthy  life,  or 
an  unworthy  connection  in  life.  *  *  *  The&e  were  some  of  my  own 
reflections  when  called  on  to  mourn,  as  you  now  do ;  but,  my  dear 
James,  I  believe  most  men  can  find — I  think  I  found — some  unfaith 
fulness  in  myself,  for  which  the  visitation  befell  me ;  and,  with  the 
blessing  of  God,  I  have  endeavoured  to  reform  it.  Should  this  be  your 
case,  I  pray  most  devoutly  that  He,  whose  grace  is  sufficient  for  us, 
may  enable  you  to  discover  and  cast  it  out.  Kest  assured  of  the  sincere 
personal  and  Christian  sympathy  of  yours, 

W.  H.  BOBBINS." 

From  the  moment  of  his  settlement  in  the  ministry,, 
the  crystallization  of  Mr.  ThornwelFs  character  appears 
to  be  complete.  All  mawkishness  of  sentiment  and  moo- 
diness  of  temper  have  vanished  for  ever.  He  has  become, 
in  the  fullest  sense,  a  man,  and  has  put  away  these  childish 
things.  His  style  of  writing  is  more  robust,  like  that  of 
one  who  has  ascertained  his  real  strength ;  and  it  is  hence 
forth  discharged  of  the  ambitiousness  which  perhaps  is 
but  the  natural  blemish  of  youthful  self-asseftion.  His- 


FIRST  PASTORATE.  1  39 

religions  experience  is  amazingly  deepened,  by  more  fa 
miliar  study  of  the  Scriptures  and  nearer  acquaintance 
with  God.  The  doctrine  of  salvation  through  grace  be 
came  more  precious  to  himself,  as  he  pressed  it  upon  the 
acceptance  of  others.  In  this,  too,  he  was  greatly  pro 
fited  by  his  intimacy  with  the  Rev.  Pierpont  E.  Bishop, 
one  of  his  co-presbyters:  a  man  not  comparable  with  him 
self  either  in  learning  or  genius,  but  of  excellent  mind 
and  of  profound  piety.  He  was  one  of  the  few,  in  any 
generation,  of  whom  it  can  be  said  with  emphasis,  that 
they  "  walk  with  God."  His  holiness  was  rooted  in  prin 
ciple  ;  it  pervaded  his  character,  and  was  of  that  earnest 
and  controlling  type  which  the  Calvinistic  view  of  Divine 
truth  imparts,  when  fully  received  into  the  heart.  This 
was  precisely  the  bond  which  linked  Mr.Thornwell  to  him ; 
and  the  affection  subsisting  between  the  two,  throughout 
life,  was  formed  in  Christ,  their  common  Lord.  "As  iron 
sharpeneth  iron,  so  a  man  sharpeneth  the  countenance  of 
his  friend;"  and  the  sweet  savour  of  Mr.  Bishop's  piety 
penetrated  into  the  life  and  history  of  his  brother  in  the 
gospel. 

A  few  extracts  from  his  private  journal,  kept  at  this 
time,  but  discontinued  after  a  few  months,  and  apparently 
never  resumed,  are  given,  to  show  the  severity  with  which 
he  probed  his  own  heart,  and  his  watchful  jealousy  of  all 
tendencies  to  earthly  pride  and  vainglory. 

•'  April  2nd,  183G. — I  have  this  day  commenced  to  keep  a  journal  of 
mv  personal  history,  with  a  view  chiefly  to  my  growth  in  grace.  Nearly 
a  year  has  elapsed  since  I  was  ordained  and  installed  the  pastor  of  the 
little  church  in  Lancaster  ;  and  what  have  I  done  for  the  glory  of  God, 
the  edification  of  His  people,  or  the  conversion  of  sinners?  Unfaith 
fulness  !  unfaithfulness !  must  be  written  upon  my  very  best  efforts. 
Great  God,  give  me  more  largely  of  the  spirit  of  grace !  My  mind  this 
day  has  been  much  concerned  for  the  welfare  of  my  little  flock. 
Some  of  them  manifest,  the  spirit  of  the  gospel ;  but  others  are  cold 
and  lifeless,  and  seem  to  take  no  sort  of  interest  in  eternal  things.  O 
Lord,  revive  Thy  work  !  .In  reviewing  my  labours,  I  am  quite  satisfied, 
and  I  trust  am  humbled,  that  my  Bible  class  has  been  conducted  too 
much  with«a  view  to  the  head,  and  too  little  with  a  view  to  the  heart. ;  it 


140  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

has  too  much  criticism,  and  too  little  personal  application.  By  the  grace 
of  God  I  am  determined  to  remedy  this  defect. 

"  May  Hth. — I  returned  home  to-day,  after  having  been  absent  for 
more  than  three  weeks.  During  my  visit  to  York,  I  experienced  a  dis 
tressing  visitation  in  the  sudden  illness  of  my  wife.  I  feared  that  she 
was  on  the  brink  of  the  grave  ;  and  was  deeply  humbled  under  a  heavy 
sense  of  my  ingratitude  to  God  for  so  sweet  a  gift.  Her  society  had 
not  been  sufficiently  improved  for  spiritual  purposes.  I  felt  that  I  most 
richly  deserved  some  decided  manifestation  of  God's  displeasure  ;  and 
,in  reliance  on  His  grace,  I  trust  I  formed  the  resolution  of  living 
more  faithfully  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  of  regarding  my  wife  as  a 
help-mate  in  spiritual  and  eternal  matters.  God  has  spared  her,  and  re 
stored  her  to  me  again.  Oh  !  may  the  Lord  give  me  grace  to  fulfil  my 
purposes  of  renewed  obedience. 

"During  my  absence,  I  attended  an  adjourned  meeting  of  Presbytery, 
held  at  Purity  church,  in  Chester,  for  the  purpose  of  ordaining  Brother 
Douglas.  I  was  appointed  to  preach  the  ordination  sermon,  and  did  so 
from  Born.  i.  5.  I  felt  much  of  the  solemnity  which  the  occasion  was 
fitted  to  inspire  ;  but  not  half  as  much  as  the  great  interests  involved 
ought  to  have  produced  in  my  heart.  It  is  a  source  of  constant  pain  and 
grief  to  me,  that  the  realities  of  eternity  have  no  more  sensible  effect 
upon  my  mind.  I  cannot  feel  them  with  that  force,  and  power,  and 
depth,  which  their  tremendous  importance  requires.  I  can  see  very 
clearly  how  I  ought  to  be  affected  ;  but  then  I  am  not  so  affected.  O 
Lord,  give  me  more  largely  of  Thy  precious  and  efficient  grace!" 

"  June  2nd. — Beturned  home,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  a  week. 
Attended  a  sacramental  meeting  of  Brother  Bishop's,  at  Unity.  That 
is  a  precious  and  a  godly  man.  I  felt  much  of  the  evils  of  my  heart,  but 
could  not  be  humbled.  I  see  in  my  own  heart  so  much  selfishness,  and 
pride,  and  vanity  ;  so  much  hardness  and  insensibility ;  so  little  affec 
tion  for  the  Saviour,  or  devotedness  to  the  glory  of  God,  that  I  am  often 
seriously  led  to  doubt  whether  I  am  a  child  of  God.  It  is  my  sincere 
and  constant  desire  to  make  the  Lord  my  portion,  to  live  to  Him,  and  for 
Him,  and  on  Him.  Oh  !  for  a  single  eye  and  a  simple  heart !  I  en  joy 
the  comforts  of  religion  by  fits  and  starts.  They  come  in  occasional 
flashes  ;  they  are  not  my  constant  and  habitual  atmosphere.  I  have  one 
consolation,  the  Lord  reigneth.  I  am  anxious  to  serve  Him,  and  to  be 
just  in  that  field  of  labour  which  shall  most  promote  His  glory. 

"June  4th. — Finished  to-day  my  sermon  on  'The  Befuges  of  Lies,'  from 
Isa.  xxviii.  Felt  much  mortified,  but  I  am  afraid  not  humbled,  in  feel 
ings  of  vanity  and  self-complacency  with  which  I  contemplated  the 
composition.  I  invoked  the  Spirit's  influence  when  I  commenced  the 
sermon ;  but  at  the  close  I  found  I  was  leaning  on  my  own  arm, 
and  shamefully  feeding  my  own  vanity.  Lord,  be  merciful  to  me,  a 
sinner ! 

' '  Commenced  reading  this  evening  the  Life  of  Henry  Martyn.  I 
was  strack  with  some  coincidences  between  his  early  history  and  char- 


FIRST  PASTORATE.  14:1 

acter  and  my  own.  Oh  !  that  I  may  ever  make  the  same  advances  in  the 
divine  life,  in  devotedness  to  God,  and  in  mortification  of  sin ! 

"July  19th. — This  morning  has  been  set  apart  for  secret  fasting  and 
prayer.  I  have  lately  been  terribly  beset  with  the  dark  and  horrible 
suggestions  of  the  great  adversary  of  souls.  Blasphemous  and  awful 
words  would  be  shot  through  my  mind  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning, 
when  I  would  engage  in  secret  prayer  at  night,  or  undertook  to  medi 
tate  on  the  Scriptures,  or  to  read  them.  This  day,  thus  far,  has  been  a 
day  of  terrible  gloom  to  me.  My  soul  has  been  in  thick  darkness.  I 
have  had  no  enjoyment  of  God.  My  heart  has  been  cold  and  cheerless, 
and  seems  utterly  incapable  of  realizing  eternal  things.  I  have  been 
reviewing  my  past  life,  and  am  almost  driven  to  despair  at  the  recollec 
tion  of  my  sins.  My  heart  seems  to  be  nothing  but  a  sink  of  corrup 
tion,  a  Gehenna  of  iniquity.  All  my  services  have  been  selfish.  My 
frames,  which  used  to  be  pleasant,  were,  I  fear,  utterly  destitute  of 
spirituality.  I  am  exceedingly  desirous  to  love  holiness  and  hate  sin ;  but 
I  fear  that  it  is  a  mere  selfish  desire.  I  sometimes  suspect  that  my  de 
sires  for  holiness  are  more  for  its  results  than  for  itself.  O  Lord,  lead 
me  in  the  paths  of  truth  and  purity.  Remove  from  me  every  darling 
lust,  and  enable  me  to  live  wholly  for  Thy  glory ! 

"July  30th. — For  the  last  two  or  three  days  I  have  been  much  engaged 
in  reading  close  works  on  experimental  religion.  Boston  on  the  *  Cove 
nant  of  Grace'  is  a  luminous  exposition  of  that  wonderful  transaction. 
I  feel  my  mind  established  in  that  great  truth  of  the  gospel ;  but  my 
heart  does  not  take  that  deep  and  abiding  interest  in  them  which  I 
earnestly  desire,  and  which  their  importance  demands.  I  have  gloomy 
and  distracting  doubts  of  my  own  personal  acceptance.  To-day  I  set 
apart  for  private  fasting,  humiliation  and  prayer,  with  reference  to  a 
protracted  meeting,  to  be  holden  at  Six-Mile,  and  my  brother's  conver 
sion.  But  my  heart  has  been  cold  and  stupid.  I  have  had  no  clear 
views  of  any  spiritual  object.  My  understanding  assents,  but  my  feel 
ings  are  dead.  My  religion  seems  to  be  all  in  the  head.  Would  to  God 
it  were  otherwise ! 

"September  5th. — I  have  been  much  hurt  this  evening,  having  heard 
that  I  had  offended  some  of  the  Methodists  of  the  village  by  some  rough 
and  unchristian  expressions  about  shouting.  I  was  wrong  in  saying 
what  I  did.  I  sinned,  and  sinned  grievously  ;  and  shall,  by  the  per 
mission  of  God,  make  an  acknowledgment  to-morrow.  My  tongue  is 
an  unruly  member,  and  I  often  say,  under  the  influence  of  excitement, 
•what  I  am  sorry  for,  immediately  afterwards.  May  the  Lord  give  rue 
prudence.  My  feelings,  I  am  afraid,  are  too  strongly  set  against  the 
peculiarities  of  Armiuians.  There  is  more  of  the  flesh  than  the  spirit 
in  them.  The  truth  is,  I  see  nothing  about  myself  that  is  right ;  I  am 
altogether  a  sinner.  But  blessed  be  God  for  free  grace !  That  is  uiy 
only  hope. 

"  September  6th. — Formed  the  design  this  morning  of  writing  a  short 
treatise  on  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  gospel.  May  the  Lord  grant 


14:2  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

that  I  may  be  guided  by  His  Holy  Spirit,  that  I  may  contend  for  noth 
ing  but  the  truth,  and  that  in  the  spirit  of  the  gospel;  and  may  the 
whole  work  conduce  to  His  glory !  Lord,  grant  that  there  may  be  no 
self-seeking,  pride,  vanity,  nor  ambition  ;  but  may  there  be  a  single 
eye  to  Thy  glory,  and  the  prosperity  of  the  Church.  Aid  me,  0  Thou 
Father  of  lights,  by  Thy  grace  ;  and  enlighten  me  in  a  saving  know 
ledge  of  the  truth ! " 

These  extracts  from  his  journal  will  be  appropriately 
closed  by  the  following  confession,  evidently  drawn  up  at 
this  period.  Its  strong  expressions  will  be  understood, 
when  it  is  remembered  that  the  instrument  is  intended  to 
cover  his  former  unconverted  state,  as  well  as  his  present 
penitence  and  sorrow : 

CONFESSION  OF  SIN. 

"I.   ' Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  Me.' 

' '  I  have  broken  this  commandment,  and  do  continually  break  it,  by 
not  knowing  and  acknowledging  God  to  be  the  only  true  God,  and  my 
God.  I  have  been  guilty  of  atheism,  in  ascribing  to  chance,  or  luck,  or 
fortune,  what  has  been  brought  about  by  the  dispensations  of  His  pro 
vidence.  I  have  been  guilty  of  idolatry  in  several  respects.  1.  In 
worshipping  self.  I  have  lived  for  self  ;  I  have  toiled  and  laboured  and 
agonized  for  self ;  and,  what  is  worst  of  all,  I  have  preached  self.  2. 
In  worshipping  Jame.  I  have  sought  this  as  my  chief  good.  While  I 
was  in  College,  I  counted  all  things  but  loss  for  the  sake  of  literary  dis 
tinction  ;  and  since  I  left  College,  I  have  repeatedly  worshipped,  with 
an  eastern  devotion,  at  this  very  altar.  3.  My  love  of  self  and  of  fame 
has  given  rise,  in  my  heart,  to  a  third  idol,  which  has  robbed  God  of 
His  glory — ambition — and  that  of  the  most  exclusive  kind.  I  have  been 
anxious,  burningly  anxious,  to  be  regarded  as  the  greatest  scholar  and 
most  talented  man  that  ever  lived.  Think,  O  my  soul,  upon  thine 
Atheism  and  idolatry!  Thou  hast  not  only  denied  God,  but,  even  when 
compelled  to  acknowledge  His  existence,  thou  hast  robbed  Him  of  the 
glory  which  is  justly  due  to  His  name. 

"  But  I  have  broken  this  commandment  in  a  more  covert  way,  by 
ignorance,  forgetfulness,  misapprehensions,  false  opinions,  unworthy  and 
wicked  thoughts  of  Him.  I  have  looked  upon  Him  as  a  hard  master. 
I  have  taxed  Him  with  injustice,  and  have  dared  to  plead  my  cause  as  a 
just  one  before  Him.  It  is  of  His  tender  mercies  that  I  am  not  con 
sumed.  There  is  still  another  way  in  which  I  have  broken  this  com 
mandment  ;  and  that  is,  by  vain  credulity,  unbelief,  heresy,  distrust, 
insensibility  under  judgments,  trusting  in  lawful  means,  carnal  delights 
and  joys,  lukewarmuess  and  deadness  in  the  things  of  God,  estrangement 
and  apostasy  from  God.  I  have  also  consulted  the  silly  practice  of 


FIRST  PASTOR ATK. 

fortune-telling.  I  have  resisted  God's  Spirit,  been  impatient  and  re 
bellious  under  the  dispensations  of  His  providence,  and  have  ascribed 
to  myself,  or  creatures,  the  good  that  I  have  received.  Again,  I  have 
not  esteemed,  adored,  honoured,  loved,  trusted,  and  delighted  in  God 
with  all  my  heart,  as  this  law  requires. 

"II.  'Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thyself  any  graven  image,  or  any 
likeness  of  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven  above,  or  that  is  in  the  earth  be 
neath,  or  that  is  in  the  water  under  the  earth ;  thou  shalt  not  bow  down 
thyself  to  them,  nor  serve  them ;  for  I,  the  Lord  thy  God,  arn  a  jealous 
God,  visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  unto  the 
third  and  fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate  Me,  and  showing  mercy 
unto  thousands  of  them  that  love  Me  and  keep  My  commandments.' 

'  *  This  commandment  requires  the  pure  and  holy  and  spiritual  wor 
ship  of  God.  I  have  made  images  of  God  in  my  mind,  and  have  broken 
it.  I  have  forgotten  that  He  is  a  Spirit,  and  have  broken  it.  I  have 
not  had  that  zeal  for  the  house  of  the  Lord  and  the  ordinances  of  the 
sanctuary  which  this  commandment  requires.  I  have  frequently  been 
unwilling  to  go  to  His  temple,  and  have  often  made  light  of  the  solem 
nities  of  worship.  This  law  requires  a  spiritual  worshipper.  Ah!  Lord, 
•what  am  I  but  flesh  and  blood !  These  two  commandments  present  me 
in  the  awful  and  hell-deserving  light  of  an  atheist,  an  idolater,  a  sen 
sualist. 

"III.  '  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain  ; 
for  the  Lord  will  not  hold  him  guiltless  that  taketh  His  name  in  vain. ' 

"  The  Lord's  name  is  upon  all  His  works  ;  it  is  recorded  in  His  word 
and  ordinances  of  His  house,  and  is  written  upon  all  His  providences. 
I  have  broken  this  commandment  by  swearing  ;  by  making  light  of 
God's  word  ;  by  not  seeing  his  hand  in  His  works,  and  by  abusing  His 
gifts.  I  have  cast  lots,  which  is  an  abuse  of  the  lot  of  the  Lord. 

"This  commandment  requires  a  consistent  profession  of  religion. 
Mine  has  not  been  so.  I  have  been  light,  and  giddy,  and  vain,  and 
have  thus  taken  the  Lord's  name  in  vain.  I  have,  for  purposes  of  argu 
ment,  and  showing  my  own  wit,  misapplied  and  perverted  the  word,  or 
passages  of  the  word  of  God  I  have  taken  His  name  in  vain  in  the 
solemn  act  of  prayer  ;  and  too  often,  at  table,  my  request  for  a  blessing 
is  a  mere  mockery. 

"IV.  '  Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy.  Six  days  shalt 
thou  labour  and  do  all  thy  work,  but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath 
of  the  Lord  thy  God  ;  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work  ;  thou,  nor  thy 
son,  nor  thy  daughter,  thy  man-servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy 
cattle,  nor  thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates.  For  in  six  days  the 
Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested 
the  seventh  day  ;  wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath  day,  and  hal 
lowed  it.' 

"  Every  Sabbath  finds  me  in  the  violation  of  this  law.  My  thoughts  are 
prone  to  be  away  from  God  ;  and  it  is  a  fearful  proof  of  depravity,  that 
•we  cannot  devote  'one  day  in  seven  entirely  to  Him.  The  sum  of  the 


LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

four  commandments  already  noted,  is  to  love  the  Lord  our  God  with  all 
our  hearts,  and  with  all  our  soul,  and  with  all  our  strength,  and  with  all 
our  minds. 

PRAYER. 

"  0  most  holy  and  righteous  God,  in  reviewing  my  heart  and  life, 
from  infancy  until  the  present  time,  I  am  constrained  to  acknowledge 
that  shame  and  confusion  of  face  belong  unto  me. 

"  I  have  broken  Thy  holy  law ;  I  stand  convinced  of  rebellion,  in  its 
worst  forms ;  I  have  been  an  atheist,  an  idolater,  a  sensual  worhipper, 
and  a  Sabbath-breaker.  The  fear  of  God  has  not  been  before  my  eyes  ; 
I  have  worshipped  self,  fame  and  ambition  ;  I  have  taken  Thy  holy  Sab 
bath,  and  profaned  it  to  my  unholy  uses  ;  and  I  have  dared  to  make  an 
image  of  Thine  inconceivable  majesty,  in  my  own  mind ;  I  have  been 
distrustful  of  thy  promises  ;  I  have  taken  Thy  name  in  vain ;  I  have 
sported  with  Thy  word,  Thy  gifts,  and  Thy  providences  ;  and  altogether, 
have  been  an  abuser  of  God's  goodness.  0  Lord,  I  have  sinned 
against  light,  and  knowledge,  and  reproofs,  and  warnings ;  there  is  no 
excuse  for  me  ;  I  deserve  hell.  O  God,  my  heart  is  rotten ;  it  is  the 
seat  of  all  my  iniquity.  0  Lord,  give  me  a  new  heart ;  a  heart  to  hate 
sin  and  self,  to  love  Thy  glory  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  serve 
Thee  continually.  Oh  !  enable  me  to  love  Thee  with  all  my  heart,  with 
all  my  mind,  and  with  all  my  strength.  All  I  ask  is  in  the  name,  and 
for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen." 

Mr.  Thornwell's  ministry  in  Lancaster  was  not  of  long 
duration,  extending  from  the  middle  of  1835  to  the  close 
of  1837.  A  man  of  his  abilities  and  general  reputation 
could  not  be  retained  in  a  retired  country  charge;  and 
shortly  before  his  twenty-fifth  birth-day,  he  received  in 
formation  of  his  election  to  the  Professorship  of  Logic 
and  Belles  Lettres  in  the  South  Carolina  College,  ren 
dered  vacant  by  the  recent  death  of  the  lamented  Nott. 


CHAPTEK  XI. 

FIRST  PROFESSORSHIP. 

REORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COLLEGE. — ENTEBS  IT  AS  PROFESSOR, — INTI 
MATE  FRIENDSHIP  WITH  OTHERS  OF  THE  FACULTY. — Is  APPOINTED  TO 
TEACH  MENTAL  SCIENCE.— ENTHUSIASM  AND  SUCCESS  IN  THIS  DEPART 
MENT. — Hrs  NATIVE  APTITUDE  FOR  THESE  STUDIES. — VINDICATED  FROM 
THE  CHARGE  THAT  HE  WAS  WANTING  IN  THE  ^ESTHETIC  ELEMENT. — 
SCRUPLES  OF  CONSCIENCE. — RESIGNS  His  PROFESSORSHIP. — INSTALLED 
PASTOR  OF  THE  COLUMBIA  CHURCH. — AUTHOR'S  FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  OF 
HIM.— HE  is  RECALLED  TO  THE  COLLEGE. 

THE  College  had  been  completely  reorganized  since 
Mr.  Thornwell  left  it  as  a  graduate,  six  years  before. 
Under  the  infidel  influence  of  Dr.  Cooper,  it  had  steadily 
languished,  until  the  force  of  public  sentiment  compelled  a 
change  of  administration.  In  the  language  of  the  College 
historian,  Dr.  Cooper  "had  drunk  deep  at  the  fountain  of 
infidelity ;  he  had  sympathized  with  the  sneering  savans 
of  Paris,  and  sat  at  the  feet  of  the  most  skeptical  philo 
sophers  of  England.  If  there  was  any  feeling  of  his 
nature  stronger  than  all  the  rest,  it  was  the  feeling  of 
opposition  to  the  Christian  religion.  He  believed  it  to  be 
a  fraud  and  imposture ;  an  artful  contrivance  to  cheat  fools, 
and  scare  little  children  and  old  women."*  It  was  not 
wonderful  that  the  Christian  people  of  the  State  rose  up 
to  defend  "  the  altars  which  he  proposed  to  subvert,"  and 
to  "protect  their  sons  against  the  influence  of  a  false  and 
soul-destroying  philosophy,  a  species  of  Pyrrhonism,  a 
refined  and  subtle  dialectics,  which  removed  all  the  foun 
dations  of  belief,  and  spread  over  the  mind  the  dark  and 
chilling  cloud  of  doubt  and  uncertainty."  The  issue  was 
slowly  but  stubbornly  joined  between  the  religious  faith  of 

*Dr.  La  Borde's  History  of  the  South  Carolina  College,  pp.  175-7. 

145 


146  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

the  masses,  on  the  one  hand,  and  a  cold,  bloodless  Deism 
on  the  other,  which  had  enthroned  itself  upon  the  high 
places  of  intelligence  and  power,  and  was  poisoning  the 
very  fountains  of  knowledge  in  the  State. 

Let  the  reader  pause  here,  and  adore  the  mystery  of 
that  Providence  which  worketh  not  after  the  pattern  of 
human  expectation.  Who  could  have  dreamed,  when 
this  ribald  infidelity  was  in  the  zenith  of  its  power,  that 
it  was  even  then  nourishing  in  its  bosom  a  champion  for 
the  truth,  who  would  soon  enter  tlxe  lists,  and  take  up  the 
gage  of  battle,  and  bear  it  off  upon  its  triumphant  lance ! 
Who  that,  eight  years  before,  saw  a  half-grown  youth 
sitting  at  the  feet  of  the  great  apostle  of  Deism,  and 
drinking  in  his  counsels  as  the  inspiration  of  an  oracle, 
could  foresee  the  advocate  for  Christianity,  standing  for 
its  defence  upon  the  platform  of  its  evidences,  and  un 
doing  the  work  of  his  own  oracle  and  guide  !  Who  could 
then  have  foretold  that  an  infidel  philosophy  was  whet 
ting  the  dialectics  which  should  unravel  its  own  sophisms, 
and  feathering  the  arrow  by  which  its  own  life  should  be 
pierced;  that  Deism  itself  should  be  made  to  train  the 
giant  strength  by  which  its  own  castle  should  be  demol 
ished,  and  the  spell  of  its  foul  enchantment  be  dissolved ! 
Who  can  understand  the  ways  of  God  ?  It  was  the  young 
Saxon  monk,  climbing  Pilate's  staircase  upon  his  knees, 
who  shook  the  gates  of  Papal  Home.  It  was  the  young 
man  bearing  the  garments  of  those  who  stoned  the  first 
martyr,  who  filled  the  world  with  the  faith  which  once  he 
destroyed. 

In  December,  1835,  the  personnel  of  the  Faculty  was 
entirely  changed.  The  Hon.  Robert  W.  Barn  well  was 
elected  to 'the  Presidency,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stephen  El 
liott  was  appointed  to  the  Professorship  of -the  Evidences 
of  Christianity  and  Sacred  Literature,  and  the  Chaplaincy 
of  the  College — a  chair  for  the  first  time  created,  in  obe 
dience  to  the  exactions  of  public  opinion,  and  of  which 
Dr.  Elliott  was  the  first  incumbent.  And  now,  two  years 


FIRST  PROFESSORSHIP.  14:7 

later,  in  "November,  1837,  the  Christian  influence  is 
strengthened  in  the  College,  by  the  addition  of  Mr. 
Thorn  well  to  its  staff  of  teachers.  Never  did  three  men 
\vork  together  with  greater  harmony  and  efficiency.  The 
ties  which  bound  them  in  the  most  intimate  fellowship 
were  the  purest  and  the  most  enduring  that  can  exist  on 
earth :  the  love  of  sound  learning,  and  perfect  coincidence 
in  their  views  of  evangelical  religion.  Messrs.  Barn  well 
and  Elliott  were  splendid  types  of  the  accomplished  gen 
tleman  ;  with  those  high  and  honourable  instincts,  and 
with  that  dignity  and  suavity  of  address,  which  are  cov 
ered  by  this  suggestive  term.  They  were  both  distin 
guished  for  what  we  are  accustomed  to  express  by  the 
word  character  /  and  withal  were  men  of  generous  schol 
arship,  broad  and  public-spirited  in  their  views,  accus 
tomed  to  sustain  high  trusts,  and  fully  commanding  the 
respect  arid  homage  of  the  citizens  of  the  Commonwealth. 
"With  them  Mr.  Thornwell  was  soon  brought  into  the 
fullest  sympathy ;  and  a  personal  friendship  was  formed 
which  even  death  has  not  interrupted,  but  which,  as  be 
tween  two  out  of  the  three,  is  now.  perpetuated  and  con 
summated  in  the  light  and  glory  of  heaven.  Thus  happily 
were  the  fears  disappointed,  entertained  by  some  who 
were  friends  of  both,  that  two  ministers  of  different 
branches  of  the  Church  could  not  be  brought  together  in 
the  Faculty  without  developing  rival  and  sectarian  inte 
rests  in  the  College. 

The  chair  which  Mr.  Thornwell  was  invited  to  fill  was 
not,  in  part  at  least,  the  one  which  he  was  most  fitted  to 
adorn.  By  a  change  soon  after  made,  the  department  of 
Metaphysics,  as  more  congenial  to  his  tastes,  was  com 
mitted  to  him.  No  better  opportunity  than  this  will  offer 
itself,  to  repel  a  criticism  which  has  been  urged  against 
the  character  of  his  mind,  that  it  was  wholly  deficient  in 
the  aesthetic  element.  This  will  certainly  appear  to  be  a 
superficial  judgment,  if  one  will  but  consider  the  rythm 
and  flow  of  his  magnificent  diction.  The  allegation  will 


1-tS  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

he  stranger  still  to  those  who  know  what  a  purist  he  was  in 
the  selection  of  words,  and  the  fastidious  taste  which 
trammelled  him  as  a  writer,  and  limited  the  extent  of  his 
authorship.  His  ear  was  oifended  with  everything  not 
drawn  from  "the  pure  well  of  English  undefiled;"  and 
the  slightest  inaccuracy  in  the  etymological  application  of 
words  jarred  his  nerves  like  the  harsh  filing  of  a  saw. 
His  acquaintance  ranged  over  the  literature  of  his  native 
tongue,  and  over  much  of  that  to  be  found  in  foreign 
dialects,  both  ancient  and  modern;  and  when  in  the  vein 
for  it,  he  could  adorn  his  style  with  the  choicest  gems 
gathered  from  their  stores. 

It  is  freely  admitted  that  the  reason,  rather  than  the 
imagination,  was  the  dominant  faculty.  He  sought  for 
Truth  herself;  was  never  content  unless  he  could  em 
brace  her  own  fair  form.  He  was  a  reasoner,  and  not  a 
dreamer;  and  his  taste  led  him  Out  of  the  ideal  world 
into  the  actual  and  true.  He  did  not  linger  in  "the 
chamber  of  imagery,"  upon  whose  walls  were  traced  the 
pictures  of  things;  but  he  went  forth  into  the  broad 
fields  of  knowledge,  to  find  the  originals  of  which  these 
pictures  were  but  the  shadows.  There  could  not  be  as 
cribed  to  him,  as  to  his  polished  predecessor,  "  Tantus 
amor  florum  et  generandi  gloria  mellis"  His  style  was 
never  festooned  with  tropes  and  figures,  serving  only  to 
embellish;  but  he  was  more  than  a  logician,  fatally  en 
tangled  in  the  formulas  of  that  rugged  science;  or  the 
subtle  dialectician, 

' '  Who  could  distinguish  and  divide 
A  hair  'twixt  south  and  southwest  side." 

He  was  an  orator  who  could  soar  to  the  copestone  of 
heaven  in  his  matchless  eloquence,  the  spell  of  which  was 
never  broken  but  with  the  cessation  of  the  tones  of  hi& 
voice ;  and  the*  orator  is  always  a  poet,  and  a  fervid  im 
agination  is  as  necessary  to  the  creations  of  the  one  as  of 
the  other.  The  shallow  criticism,  which  denies  to  him 


FIRST   PROFESSORSHIP.  149 

all  sensibility  to  the  'beautiful,  is  sufficiently  refuted  by 
the  brilliant  eloquence  which  enchained  every  audi 
ence  he  addressed;  for  the  sympathies  and  emotions  of 
men  are  never  controlled,  except  where  a  living  fancy 
works  as  an  organizing  force,  creating  and  actuating  the 
forms  in  which  truth  is  painted  before  the  mind. 

A  couple  of  incidents,  happening,  indeed,,  at  a  later 
period,  during  his  second  visit  to  Europe,  are  singularly 
appropriate  just  here,  as  a  part  of  the  vindication  we  are 
attempting.  The  first  was  related  by  himself  to  a  friend, 
who  gives  this  account  of  it :  "  We  sat  in  his  study, 
and  had  been  laughing  over  the  Doctor's  sad  want  of 
musical  capacity,  when  he  suddenly  broke  in  with  this 
account  of  his  seeing  Raphael's  Madonna:  'I  had  about 
given  it  up  as  a  bad  case,  and  accepted  the  verdict  of  my 
friends,  that  I  had  no  appreciation  of  the  aesthetic,  until 
my  visit  to  the  Dresden  gallery  undeceived  me.  I  had 
grown  weary  of  the  guide's  ceaseless  prosing  about  this 
painting  and  that,  and  determined  to  turn  aside  to  await 
the  return  of  my  friends,  after  they  had  made  the  tour  of 
the  gallery.  I  suppose  that  a  considerable  time  had 
elapsed,  when  I  was  aroused  by  their  expression  of  amuse 
ment  at  my  deafness.  I  had  been  totally  absorbed  in  the 
admiration  of  a  painting,  which  proved  to  be  the  Sistine 
Madonna.  I  had  happened  upon  the  right  place  to  show 
that  I  had  some  sense  of  the  beautiful  in  my  composi 
tion.'" 

A  second  incident  is.  given  by  the  same  friend,  upon 
the  authority  of  one  who  was, a  companion  of  the  Doc 
tor's  travels,  a  favourite  nephew,  who  unhappily  fell  in 
the  second  battle  of  Manassas:  "The  tourists  had  been 
climbing,  with  much  fatigue,  one  of  the  Alps,  cheered  by 
the  conlident  assurance  of  their  guide  that  they  would 
soon  be  rewarded  for  their  toil  by  a  splendid  prospect, 
when  the  wind  should  scatter  the  mist  which  completely 
shut  them  in.  At  length,  the  promised  relief  came.  The 
impenetrable  walls  of  fog  began  to  quiver  as  the  breeze 


150  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

gathered  power;  and  then  the  vapoury  masses  were  drifted 
up  the  mountain's  side,  like  a  great  white  curtain  rolled 
up  by  the  deft  hands  of  invisible  spirits.  The  transi 
tion  was  sudden,  as  the  effect  was  overpowering.  Fright 
ful  gorges,  smiling  valleys,  snow-capped  summits,  frown 
ing  cliffs,  cascades,  and  glaciers  shimmering  in  the  sun 
light,  stoool  revealed,  where  all  was  a  blank  but  a  mo 
ment  before.  My  young  friend  told  me  that  his  atten 
tion  was  withdrawn  from  the  magnificent  scenery  to 
the  grotesque  attitude  and  movements  of  his  uncle. 
Every  feature  of  his  countenance  bespoke  the  most  ec 
static  rapture,  as  he  bent  forward  upon  his  mule,  the 
past  toil  forgotten,  his  hat  crushed  upon  the  back  of  his 
head,  his  eye  dilating,  the  under  jaw  relaxed,  while  inco 
herent  words  burst  from  his  lips.  No  doubt  they  ex 
pressed  a'doring  worship  of  the  great  Creator." 

The  accession  of  Mr.  Thorn  well  to  the  corps  of  instruc 
tors  in  the  South  Carolina  College,  was  hailed  with  plea 
sure  by  all  who  were  familiar  with  his  previous  career. 
The  peculiar  bent  of  his  genius,  his  scholarly  tastes,  his 
rare  learning  at  so  early  an  age,  his  insatiable  thirst  for 
knowledge,  and  above  all,  his  peculiar  facility  in  impart 
ing  these  spoils  to  others — all  pointed  to  academic  life  as 
the  sphere  in  which  he  would  acquire  most  repute,  and 
be  also  the  most  extensively  useful.  These  anticipations, 
both  of  success  and  renown,  were  not  shaded  by  dis 
appointment  in  the  least  degree.  Within  two  years  from 
his  induction  into  office,  he  became  so  rooted  into  the 
very  life  of  the  College  that,  during  a  period  of  eighteen 
years,  each  successive  effort  to  separate  himself  from  its 
venerable  halls  was  defeated ;  until  at  length,  the  Church, 
that  had  so  long  lent  him  to  the  State,  rose  in  her  ma 
jesty,  and  reclaimed  the  last  few  years  of  his  invaluable 
life  to  her  immediate  service. 

The  industry  with  which  he  ploughed  the  field  of  phil 
osophy  is  proved  by  the  existence  amongst  his  manu 
scripts  of  a  course  of  lectures  covering  the  entire  field; 


FIRST  PROFESSORSHIP.  151 

all  prepared  within  the  two  years  in  which  only  he  taught 
in  this  department.  The  value  set  upon  these  lectures  at 
the  time  of  their  delivery,  is  attested  by  the  melancholy 
gaps  in  the  series,  as  they  were  borrowed  by  the  students 
and  never  returned.  These  breaks  it  is  now  impossible 
to  supply ;  and  they  so  mar  the  completeness  as  probably 
to  prevent  their  publication.  Perhaps,  too,  it  would 
scarcely  be  just  to  surrender  to  public  criticism  lectures 
written  five  and  thirty  years  ago;  and  therefore,  not 
abreast  with  the  later  literature  of  a  science,  which  has 
been  enriched  by  the  contributions  of  such  scholars  and 
thinkers  as  Sir  William  Hamilton  and  others,  who  would 
be  the  pride  and  ornament  of  philosophy  in  any  age  of 
the  world.  The  editors  of  his  works,  who  hold  his  pos 
thumous  reputation  as  a  sacred  trust,  cannot  fail  to  re 
member  that  these  lectures  were  prepared  in  haste,  at  a 
a  very  early  age,  and  were  but  the  tentative  efforts  of  one 
who  had  just  entered  upon  that  branch  of  study,  and 
were  never  afterwards  subjected  to  revision. 

In  contemplating  the  labours  of  truly  great  men,  one 
can  scarcely  repress  the  foolish  wish  that  it  were  possible 
to  split  the  one  man  into  many,  and  yet  to  carry  over  the 
whole  of  him  into  each  severed  part.  Human  life  is  so 
short,  and  the  limit  of  physical  endurance  is  so  soon 
reached,  that  the  subdivision  becomes  almost  painfully 
minute.  The  comprehensive  genius,  which  shows  an 
equal  facility  for  every  branch  of  knowledge,  we  regret 
to  see  shut  up  within  any  bounds  at  all.  It  always  seemed 
to  the  writer  that  there  was  stuff  in  his  friend  to  make  a 
dozen  men ;  and,  in  writing  these  lines,  the  fruitless  sigh 
will  breathe  itself  out  anew,  that  he  could  not  have  occu 
pied  all  the  provinces  of  human  thought  at  once.  His 
studies  were  doubtless  remanded  by  Providence  to  sub 
jects  of  greater  utility  than  that  of  speculative  philosophy. 
Yet,  if  his  life  could  have  been  spent  in  this  department, 
his  biographer  would  have  been  allowed  to-apply  to  him 
the  splendid  eulogium  he  has  pronounced  upon  Sir  Wil- 


LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

liam  Hamilton:  "In  depth  and  acuteness  of  mind,  a  rival 
of  Aristotle;  in  immensity  of  learning,  a  match  for  Leib 
nitz;  in  comprehensiveness  of.  thought,  an  equal  of  Bacon." 
Even  as  it  is,  since  the  days  of  Edwards,  no  one  has  ap 
peared  on  this  continent  so  natively  competent  to  realize 
•this  grand  combination,  than  the  impassioned  panegyrist 
himself  by  whom  it  was  framed.  It  is  unfortunate  that, 
aside  from  the  aroma  which  breathes  through  all'  his 
writings,  the  evidence  of  his  large  acquisitions  can  be 
gathered  only  from  monographs ;  and  these  upon  topics 
which  lather  implicate  philosophy  than  lie  wholly  within 
its  domain.  He  was  unquestionably  master  of  its  history, 
from  its  dawii  amidst  the  schools  of  Greece,  through  the 
mid-day  slumber  in  which  it  dozed  with  the  schoolmen, 
to  the  frenzied  and  fantastic  dreams  of  our  modern  tran- 
scendentalist.  Acquainted  with  every  shade  of  opinion, 
his  own  criticism  winnowed  the  chaff*  from  the  wheat; 
and  every  valuable  contribution,  made  by  any  school  or 
age,  was.  safely  gathered  into  the  chambers  of  his  memory. 
These  stores  of  knowledge  were  of  course  only  gradually 
acquired  in  the  copious  reading  of  after  years ;  but  a  solid 
foundation  was  laid,  during  the  brief  period  of  his  first 
professorship,  upon  which  were  accumulated  the  results 
of  later  study. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1838,  he  found  himself  trans 
ferred  from  the  quiet  duties  of  a  country  pastorate  to  the 
still  greater  seclusion  of  academic  life.  He  entered  at 
once,  with  characteristic  ardour,  upon  the  office  of  in 
struction,  in  studies  so  peculiarly  adapted  to  his  taste. 
Metaphysical  science  he  speedily  vindicated  from  the 
charge  of  inutility,  showing  the  application  of  its  prin 
ciples  to  the  practical  pursuits  of  men,  and  as  implicitly 
involved  in  the  whole  current  of  human  intercourse.  His 
lucid  exposition  dispelled  the  haze  of  uncertainty  hanging 
a'round  themes  so  abstract  and  difficult  of  research.  The 
warmth  of  his  enthusiasm  quickened  into  life,  and  clothed 
with  flesh,  the  inarrowless  bones  of  what  was  regarded 


FIRST  PROFESSORSHIP.  K>.", 

only  as  a  dead  philosophy.  The  reanimated  form,  instinct 
with  the  beauty  which  his  glowing  fancy  diffused,  invested 
with  the  drapery  which  his  varied  learning  supplied,  and 
speaking  with  the  elevated  tone  which  his  eloquence  in 
spired,  no  longer  repelled  the  embrace  of  ardent  scholars, 
as  when  it  lay  a  ghastly  skeleton  covered  with  the  dust  of 
centuries  of  barren  speculation.  Such  was  the  impulse 
given  to  this  study,  and  so  paramount  the  influence  he 
continued  to  wield  in  its  behalf,  during  his  long  connection 
with  the  College,  that,  enthroned  among  the  sciences,  its 
ascendency  has  never  since  been  disputed. 

But  congenial  as  were  these  pursuits  to  the  young  pro 
fessor,  his  conscience  began  to  be  disturbed  with  scruples 
which  marred  his  repose.  It  has  already  been  shown  with 
what  unusual  solemnity  and  depth  of  conviction  he  as 
sumed  the  office  of  the  holy  ministry.  His  ordination  vow 
presses  hard  upon  him.  He  had  covenanted  to  make  the 
proclamation  of  God's  grace  to  sinners  the  business  of  his 
life.  Did  this  comport  with  a  life  spent  in  teaching  oth 
ers  only  the  endless  see-saw  of  the  syllogism,  or  even  the 
sublime  mysteries  of  the  human  mind  ?  The  opportunities 
afforded  for  the  occasional  ministration  of  the  Word,  how 
frequeat  so  ever,  did  not  seem  to  fill  up  the  measure  of 
.obligation  he  had  contracted,  by  the  "laying  on  of  the  hands 
of  the  presbytery."  He  must  preach  with  constancy  and 
system,  as  a  man  plying  his  vocation.  "  The  word  of  the 
Lord  was  in  his  heart,  as  a  burning  fire  shut  up  in  his 
bones,  and  he  was  weary  with  forbearing."  The  charms 
of  scholastic  retirement  had  not  palled  upon  his  enjoy 
ment;  but,  with  a  stronger  passion  for  the' salvation  of 
men,  he  longed  for  the  cure  of  souls.  Under  this  pressure 
of  conscience,  he  proffered  his  resignation  to  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  in  May,  1839,  to  take  effect  at  the  close  of  the 
year ;  with  a  view  to  accept  the  pastorship  of  the  Presby 
terian  Church  in  Columbia,  South  Carolina,  made  vacant 
by  the  retirement  of  the  Rev.  John  Witherspoon,  D.  D., 
LL.  D.  Accordingly,  on  the  1st  day  of  January,  1840, 


154  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

he  was  installed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Charleston  in  this 
new  relation,  and  finds  himself  once  more  the  pastor  of  a 
Christian  flock. 

Dr.  Thornwell  was,  however,  no  stranger  to  the  Co 
lumbia  pulpit,  as  he  often,  during  the  preceding  year,  for 
consecutive  Sabbaths,  occupied  the  place  of  the  pastor, 
Dr.  Witherspoon,  when  disabled  by  chronic  sickness.  It 
was  at  this  period  the  writer's  acquaintance  with  his  friend 
began ;  though  his  own  position  as  a  Divinity  student  did 
not  warrant  the  intimacy  which  was  enjoyed  a  little  later,, 
when  brought  into  the  relation  of  a  co-presbyter.  The 
impression  will  never  be  erased  of  the  first  discourse  to 
which  he  listened,  in  the  year  1839.  A  thin,  spare  form, 
with  a  slight  stoop  in  the  shoulders,  stood  in  the  desk, 
with  soft  black  hair  falling  obliquely  over  the  forehead, 
and  a  small  eye,  with  a  wonderful  gleam  when  it  was 
lighted  by  the  inspiration  of  his  theme.  The  devotional 
services  offered  nothing  peculiar,  beyond  a  quiet  simplicity 
and  reverence.  The  reading  was,  perhaps,  a  trifle  mono 
tonous,  and  the  prayer  was  marked  rather  by  correctness 
and  method,  than  by  fervour  or  fulness.  But  from  the 
opening  of  the  discourse,  there  was  a  strange  fascination, 
such  as  had  never  been  exercised  by  any  other  sp,eaker. 
The  subject  was  doctrinal,  and  Dr.  Thornwell,  who  was 
born  into  the  ministry  at  the  height  of  a  great  contro 
versy,  had  on,  then,  the  wiry  edge  of  his  youth.  The  first 
impression  made  was  that  of  being  stunned  by  a  peculiar 
dogmatism  in  the  statement  of  what  seemed  weighty  pro 
positions  ;  this  was  followed  by  a  conscious  resistance  of 
the  authority  which  was  felt  to  be  a  little  brow-beating 
with  its  positiveness ;  and  then,  as  lmk  after  link  was 
added  to  the  chain  of  a  consistent  argument,  expressed 
with  that  agonistic  fervour  which  belongs  to  the  forum, 
the  effect  at  the  close  was  to  overwhelm  and  subdue. 
u  Who  is  this  preacher  ? "  was  asked  of  a  neighbour,  in 
one  of  the  pauses  of  the  discourse.  "  That  is  Mr.  Thorn- 
well  ;  don't  you  know  him  ? "  was  the  reply.  Thornwell, 


FIRST  PROFESSORSHIP.  155 

Thorn  well !  the  sound  came  back  like  an  echo  from  the 
distant  past,  or  like  a  half-remembered  dream,  which  one 
strives  to  recover;  when  suddenly  it  flashed  upon  the 
memory  that,  eight  years  before,  when  a  lad  of  thirteen, 
he  had  heard  a  young  collegian  say,  "There  is  a  little 
fellow  just  graduated  in  my  class,  of  whom  the  world  will 
hear  something,  by  and  by ;  his  name  is  Thornwell."  This 
and  that  were  put  together ;  the  prophecy  and  the  fulfil 
ment  already  begun.  How  little  did  the  writer  dream, 
in  the  wondering  of  that  day,  that  nearly  twenty  years  of 
bosom  friendship  would  bind  him  to  that  stranger,  as 
Jonathan  was  knit  to  David;  or  that,  after  five  and  thirty 
years,  he  would  be  penning  these  reminiscences  in  this 
biography.  Let  him  be  forgiven  for  floating  thus  a  mo 
ment  upon  the  flood  of  these  memories. 

Dr.  Thornwell  remained  in  this,  his  second  pastoral 
charge,  but  a  single  twelve-month.  His  brief  term  of 
service  in  the  College  had  proved  his  value  as  an  educator 
too  much  to  induce  a  general  acquiescence  in  his  with 
drawal.  An  opportunity  was  soon  presented  for  his  recall. 
The  election  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Elliott  as  Bishop  of  the 
diocese  of  Georgia,  left  the  College  pulpit  without  an 
occupant.  The  vacant  chaplaincy  was  at  once  tendered 
him,  in  connection  with  the  Professorship  of  Sacred  Lit 
erature  and  the  Evidences  of  Christianity.  The  consci- 
enHou?  scruples  which  had  withdrawn  him  from  the  chair 
of  Philosophy,  did  not  embarrass  his  acceptance  of  a  new 
position,  where  he  would  be  intrusted  with  the  care  of 
souls,  and  those  of  a  most  important  class  in  society.  At 
the  opening  of  the  year  1841,  he  entered  upon  his  duties 
in  the  College,  amid  the  lamentation  and  tears  of  his  de 
serted  charge.  Never  before  or  since  was  the -gospel 
preached  to  them  with  the  eloquence  and  power  with 
which  it  fell  from  his  lips;  and  in  the  agony  of  their  great 
loss,  the  question  was  upon  every  tongue,  "  What  shall 
the  man  do  that  cometh  after  the  king  \ "  The  bereave 
ment  was  only  mitigated  by  the  fact  that  lie  still  re- 


156  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

mained  a  resident  of  the  town,  and  the  opportunity  would 
be  frequently  enjoyed  of  listening  to  the  music  of  his 
voice.  In  his  renewed  connection  with  the  College,  he 
remained,  with  only  slight  interruptions,  through  a  period 
of  fifteen  years,  which  it  will  be  our  pleasure  to  trace  in 
the  chapters  that  follow. 


CHAPTER    XII. 
VOYAGE  TO  EUROPE. 

SYMPTOMS  OF  AN  ALARMING  DISEASE.— ORDERED  TO  EUROPE.— LETTERS 
BY  THE  WAY. — SAILS  FOR  LIVERPOOL. — JOURNAL. — REFLECTIONS  UPON 
THE  OCEAN  ;  UPON  THE  VALUE  OF  TIME  ;  UPON  THE  SEA  AS  A  SCHOOL 
FOR  THE  CHRISTIAN  GRACES. — DESCRIPTION  OF  A  NEWFOUNDLAND  Foo. 
— DANGERS.— STORM  AT  SEA. — AERIVES  IN  EUROPE. 

THE  College  session  of  January,  1841,  found  Dr.  Thorn- 
well,  as  we  have  seen,  restored  to  its  halls.  But  his 
labours  were  soon  arrested  by  symptoms  of  an  alarming 
disease.  Great  prostration  and  several  hemorrhages  gave 
tokens  of  that  wasting  consumption,  which  so  often  falls 
as  an  early  blight  upon  the  most  promising  and  useful 
lives.  A  sea  voyage  was  prescribed  as  necessary  to  his 
restoration,  including,  as  a  motive  for  it,  a  visit  to  Eu 
rope.  The  needful  arrangements  were  completed  by  the 
month  of  May,  which  finds  him  upon  the  journey. 

It  was  evidently  his  purpose  to  keep  a  minute  journal 
of  his  travels,  for  the  gratification  of  his  family,  and  as  a 
memorial  for  himself.  The  distraction  of  sight-seeing, 
however,  prevented  its  execution,  with  the  exception  of 
the  record  kept  whilst  he  was  at  sea.  Besides  this,  there 
are  no  memoranda  to  be  found  among  his  papers';  and  we 
are  left  to  glean  his  impressions  of  the  Old  World  from 
the  letters  addressed  to  his  wife.  AYith  copious  extracts 
from  these,  the  reader  will  have  to  be  content,  affording, 
as  they  do,  glimpses  into  his  home  life.  The  first  was 
written  from  Charleston,  the  first  stage  of  his  journey  : 

"CHARLESTON,  S.  C.,  May  1,  1841. 

' '  MY  DEAREST  WIFE  :  I  received  your  very,  very  welcome  letter  this 
evening,  by  Mrs.  McFie  ;  for  I  was  waiting  for  her  at  the  depot,  anxious 
to  hear  from  home.  I  have  now  seated  myself  to  give  you  a  long  letter ; 

157 


158  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

not  so  much  because  you  have  requested,  as  because  it  is  a  source  of 
pleasure  to  me  to  write  to  you,  when  I  am  away.  How  much  we  owe  to 
letters,  and  what  a  glorious  invention  is  the  art  of  writing !  In  the  first 
place,  .1  send  a  kiss  to  your  own  sweet  lips,  then  one  to  Nannie,  and 
then  another  to  Jenny,  and  my  best  wishes  for  all  the  rest  of  the  fam 
ily.  I  arrived  in  Charleston  yesterday  afternoon,  much  wearied  by  the 
uncomfortable  ride  in  the  stage-coach.  The  wind  blew  severely  on 
Thursday  night ;  the  doors  of  the  coach  had  neither  glass  nor  curtains, 
and  we  had  to  take  the  wind  as  it  came.  My  seat  was  just  by  the  door, 
and  so  I  had  the  full  benefit  of  all  the  breezes.  There  were  nine  pas 
sengers,  none  of  whom  I  knew ;  and  I  was  much  amused  with  some  of 
their  discussions.  Among  other  things,  they  took  up  the  subject  of 
Foreign  Missions,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  did  more  harm  than 
good  to  send  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen.  They  contended  that  the  hea 
then  were  happy  in  their  ignorance  ;  and  that  to  give  them  the  Gospel 
was  only  to  give  them  the  arts,  and  consequently  tlje  wants  and  desires 
of  civilized  life,  and  thus  to  make  them  wretched.  I  could  not  but  think 
of  the  deplorable  stupidity  of  the  carnal  heart.  These  men  never  once 
adverted  to  the  state  of  the  soul,  and  the  prospects  of  the  heathen  for 
eternity.  Poor  creatures !  they  were  consistent.  They  never  thought 
of  their  own  salvation  ;  and  how  could  they  be  expected  to  think  of  the 
salvation  of  others  ?  Their  desires  for  themselves  extended  only  to  the 
comfort  of  their  bodies  and  the  lusts  of  their  flesh,  and  it  was  in  this 
aspect  of  the  matter  that  they  viewed  the  probable  influence  of  the  Gos 
pel  upon  the  dark  places  of  the  earth.  *  *  *  * 

"  I  went  down  with  Hall  McGee,  to  see  the  different  ships  soon  to  sail 
for  Liverpool.  I  went  all  over  the  vessel  in  which  Mrs.  McFie  expects 
to  sail.  I  think  it  a  poor  ship.  It  is  very  large,  but  its  accommoda 
tions  are  not  good.  *  *  *  There  is  another  ship,  which  sails  for 
Liverpool  on  Thursday,  that  it  charms  the  eye  to  look  at.  She  is  called 
the  'Colombo.'  I  am  almost  tempted  to  go  out  in  her.  My  present 
arrangement  is  to  go  to  Boston  ;  but  if  Mrs,  M.  will  go  in  the  '  Colombo,' 
I  am  not  sure  but  I  will  go  with  her ;  but  I  could  not  be  tempted  to 
go  in  the  ;  Thetis.' 

"  I  feel,  my  dearest,  that  we  are  in  the  hands  of  God.  He  has  won 
derfully  sustained  me  in  the  bitterness  of  separation.  I  feel  confident 
that  all  is  for  good,  and  that  I  shall  be  restored  to  you  in  health  and 
strength.  I  can  see  His  hand  in  the  whole  matter.  Let  us  endeavour  to 
love  Him  more  and  serve  Him  better.  And  now,  dearest,  good  night. 
I  feel  quite  well.  May  God  bless  and  keep  you  and  the  children. 
"  Your  affectionate  husband, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

To  the  same : 

"BALTIMORE,  MD.,  May  11,  1841, 

"  MY  DEAKEST  WIFE  :  Although  I  did  not  promise  to  write  you  until 
I  reached  New  York,  yet  having  a  .few  hours  of  leisure  in  this  place,  I 
find  my  thoughts  recurring  with  fond  affection  to  my  dear  wife  and 


VOYAGK  TO  EUROPE.  159 

0 

children,  and  the  beloved  friends  I  have  left  behind  me.  It  is  a  great 
f-atisfaction  to  think  of  you  all,  and  to  commend- you  to  that  God,  whose 
I  am  and  whom  I  endeavour  to  serve.  I  cannot  say  that  I  am  distressed 
with  anxious  thoughts  about  your  health  and  comfort.  The  Lord  has 
mercifully  preserved  me  from  painful  and  harrassing  apprehensions  in 
regard  to  you  ;  but  I  often  throw  myself  into  jour  company,  carry  on 
an  imaginary  conversation  with  you  about  what  I  see  and  hear,  and 
fancy  how  you  would  feel  and  think,  and  what  you  would  probably  say, 
if  you  were  along  by  my  side.  * *  *  If  God  should  preserve  me 
and  keep  me,  and  restore  me  to  you  all  again,  my  heart  leaps  within  me 
at  the  rapture  of  our  meeting.  The  prospect  of  that  joy  reconciles  mo, 
in  some  measure,  to  the  privations  and  discomforts  of  our  temporary 
separation.  Let  us  often  pray  for  each  other,  and  for  the  dear  children, 
our  sweet,  precious  little  babes. 

"Agreeably to  your  own  request,  I  shall  now  attempt  to  give  you 
some  account  of  what  has  befallen  me  since  I  left  Charleston.  We  had 
a  fine  passage  to  Wilmington  ;  but  the  next  day  were  detained  on  the 
road  by  the  cars  breaking  down.  We  were  left  at  the  house  of  a  good 
old  Presbyterian  family,  in  which  there1  were  some  excellent  religious 
books  ;  such  as  the  'Confession  of  Faith,'  '  Erskine  and  Fisher's  Cate 
chism,'  'Watts  on  Prayer,'  and  so  on.  I  was  quite  edified  and  inter 
ested  in  reading  these  memorials  of  the  piety  and  faithfulness  of  a  for 
mer  generation,  and  consequently  did  not  feel  disposed  to  murmur 
at  the  Providence  which  detained  us.  There  were  two  subjects  which 
bore  much  upon  my  mind,  while  at  this  house ;  upon  both  of  which  I 
intend  putting  my  thoughts  to  paper  when  I  get  out  to  sea.  They  were 
suggested  to  me  by  reading  '  Watts  on  Prayer.'  One  was  the  true  spirit 
and  grace  of  prayer ;  in  what  they  consisted ;  how  they  might  be  ap 
proved  :  and  why  they  were  so  little  found  among  the  great  body  of  pro 
fessors  of  religion.  I  am  satisfied  that  there  is  much  more  formality  in 
our  ordinary  prayers  than  we,  ourselves,  are  generally  conscious  of ; 
th-tt  in  a  multitude  of  instances  we  do  nothing  more  than  mock  God,  and 
deceive  ourselves.  The  other  subject  which  pressed  upon  my  mind,  was 
the  defective  spirit  in  which  preaching  is  listened  to,  by  those  who  call 
themselves  the  children  of  God.  Hearers  are  not  sufficiently  aware  of 
the  true  intent  and  end  of  the  Christian  ministry,  and,  therefore,  do  not 
receive  from  the  ministrations  of  the  sanctuary  that  comfort  and  in 
struction  which,  under  the  blessing  of  the  Spirit,  they  are  calculated  to 
afford.  These  meditations,  coupled  with  many  thoughts  of  home,  and 
many  prayers  for  my  precious  wife  and  family,  occupied  my  time  dur 
ing  my  delay  upon  my  journey. 

"The  next  day,  we  came  safely  on,  and  on  last  Saturday,  at  about 
ten  o'clock  at  night,  we  reached  the  city  of  Baltimore,  where  I  now  am. 
On.  Sunday  morning  I  went  to  Brother  Breckinridge's  *  church,  and 
heard  an  excellent  sermon.  I  went  home  with  him,  and  have  been  stay 
ing  with  -him  ever  since.  The  more  I  see  of  him,  the  more  I  love  him. 

*Rev.  Robert  J.  Breckinridge,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 


160         •  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

% 

There  is  no  man  in  the  Church  more  misrepresented  and  more  mis 
understood.  He  is  exeeedingly  affectionate,  kind,  and  affable  in  his 
family,  and  among  his  people.  He  has  some  habits  like  my  own.  He 
loves  to  sleep  in  the  morning,  to  smoke  cigars,  to  «it  up  at  night,  and  to 
tell  funny  stories.  He  is  a  very  industrious  and  laborious  man.*  Yes 
terday  he  made  me  write  another  article  t  in  reply  to  the  Catholic  priests, 
which  will  be  published  in  the  next  Visitor.  He  has  furnished  me  with 
some  very  flattering  letters  to  ministers  in  Europe,  for  which  I  am  very 
much  indebted  to  him. 

"  To-morrow  morning  I  leave  for  New  Yovk,  and  then  shall  immedi 
ately  set  sail  for  Europe.  After  much  reflection  and  consultation,  I 
haye  determined  not  to  go  in  a  steam  packet,  but  in  a  sailing  ship.  The 
steam  packets  are  too  crowded,  and  are  said  to  be  much  more  uncom 
fortable  and  unsafe  than  the  ships ;  which,  at  this  season  of  the  year, 
are  as  expeditious  as  the  steamboats.  In  a  few  days  more  I  shall  be 
upon  the  broad  ocean.  It  is  the  very  best  season  of  the  year  for  a  voy 
age.  Everything  seems  favourable,  and  I  hope  to  be  in.  Liverpool  early 
in  June.  When  I  reach  Europe,  I  shall  keep  the  journal  which  you  de 
sired,  and  send  it  to  you  regularly.  My  health  seems  to  be  the  same  as 
usual.  I  have  had  no  return  of  spitting  blood  ;  the  weakness  in  my 
chest  seems  to  have  disappeared  ;  and  if  it  were  not  for  prudential  and 
prospective  considerations.  I  had  as  lief  preach  as  not.  The  sea,  thus 
far,  has  agreed  finely  with  me.  And  now,  dearest,  let  me  exhort  you  to 
be  cheerful  and  happy  until  we  meet  again.  Go  among  your  friends  and 
kindred  ;  visit  much,  an<5  take  frequent  exercise,  and  be  as  hearty,  as 
strong,  and  as  lovely,  as  care  on  your  part  can  make  you,  when  your 
dear  husband  returns  to  you  from  abroad.  He  commits  you  and  the 
babes  with  confidence  to  God.  A  kiss  for  yourself,  for  Nannie  and 
Jenny,  and  lore  to  all. 

"  Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THOENWELL." 

At  sea  there  was  no  opportunity  for  correspondence, 
and  we  are  thrown  upon  his  journal  for  the  current  of  his 
thoughts.  We  will  cite  only  such  passages  as  reflect  his 
character  and  experience,  through  which  the  reader  will 
come  into  more  personal  and  intimate  acquaintance  with 
him : 

"  Wednesday,  May  19^,  1841.— About  one  and  a  half  o'clock,  P.  M., 
we  left  the  wharf  at  New  York,  in  the  packet-ship  '  Columbus,'  and  were- 
towed  over  the  bar  at  Sandy  Hook  by  the  steamboat  '  Hercules.'     At 

+  The  first  article  here  referred  to,  was  the  famous  Essay  on  'the 
Claims  of  the  Apocrypha,  which  gave  rise  to  the  discussion  with* Dr. 
Lynch,  and  to  his  own  book,  entitled,  '  Komanist  Arguments  Refuted,' 
all  of  which  may  be  found  in  Vol.  3  of  his  '  Collected  Writings.' 


VOYAGE  TO  EUROPE.  lf>l 

three  o'clock  the  last  tie  which  bound  me  to  my  native  land  was  severed, 
and  we  were  fairly  afloat  upon  the  mighty  ocean.  The  weather  was  so 
calni  that  we  did  not  lose  sight  of  the  lights  upon  the  shore  until  three 
o'clock  the  next  morning.  The  change  in  the  atmosphere  was  remark 
able  :  it  became  so  cold  after  crossing  the  bar  that  I  was  compelled  to 
pull  my  overcoat  closely  around  me,  and  would  have  been  delighted  at 
the  prospect  of  such  comfortable  fires  as  I  left  in  Columbia.  While 
passing  the  bar  we  sat  down  to  dinner.  Our  captain,  a  fine,  jovial, 
good  uatured  man,  did  the  honours  of  the  table ;  and  his  fare  would 
have  done  credit  to  a  New  York  hotel." 

Here  follows  a  sketch  of  the  persons  who  were  his 
companions  during  the  voyage,  and  the  journal  continues: 

"  We  were  indeed  an  ill-assorted  collection,  bound  together  by  no 
affinities  at  all ;  and  consequently  each  pursued,  without  any  especial 
regard  to  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  others,  the  '  even  tenor  of 
his  way.' 

''Thursday,  May  20th.— "When  I  arose  (which,  by  the  way,  I  did  not 
do  until  nine  o'clock)  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  but  sky  and  water. 
It  was  a  beautiful  morning ;  the  sun  shone  out  in  brightness  and  beauty  ; 
not  a  cloud  fringed  the  sky ;  the  wind  was  so  gentle  that  we  moved  at 
the  rate  of  only  two  or  three  miles  an  hour,  and  the  whole  prospect  was 
one  of  surpassing  loveliness.  I  thought  of  Byron's  beautiful  apostrophe 
to  the  ocean ;  but  I  confess  that  I  cannot  enter  fully  into  the  spirit  of 
it.  One  labours  under  a  sense  of  confinement  in  gazing  upon  the  sea, 
when  smooth  and  unruffled.  The  horizon  is  too  limited ;  you  feel  that  the 
waters  stretch  beyond  it,  and  hence  yoTi  are  conscious  of  a  constant  effort 
to  enlarge  the  sphere  of  your  vision,  and  to  make  your  view  co-extensive 
with  the  vast  expanse,  which  you  know  is  spread  out  before  you.  The 
ocean  at  rest  is  beautiful,  but  not  sublime ;  lovely,  but  not  majestic ;  it 
soothes  and  charms  the  mind,  but  does  not  elate  and  expand  it.  A 
storm  at  sea  is  doubtless  a  sublime  spectacle  ;  but  the  mere  expansive- 
ness  of  the  waters  conduces  nothing  to  the  impression.  It  is  the  rolling 
and  dashing  and  heaving  of  the  waves,  the  tremendous  roar  of  the  bil 
lows,  the  tossing  of  the  vessel,  the  threatening  aspect  of  the  heavens, 
the  dismal  howling  of  the  winds,  and  the  appalling  prospect  of  terror 
which  storm  and  tempest  spread  before  them.  It  is  not  the  vastness  of 
the  ocean,  but  the  impressions  of  the  moment,  the  associations  of  terror, 
and  danger,  and  awful  power ;  the  sense  of  the  Godhead  riding  forth  in 
vengeance  and  majesty :  these  are  the  things  which  render  a  storm  so 
transcendently  sublime.  But  the  mere  extent  of  the  ocean  makes  a 
very  vague  and  indistinct  impression.  You  cannot  feel  as  you  think 
you  ought  to  feel.  You  are  disappointed  in  your  own  sensations ;  the 
prospect  is  more  circumscribed  than  you  had  been  led  to  anticipate, 
and  you  exhatist  yourself  in  vain  attempts  to  stretch  the  volume  of 
waters  beyond  the  capacity  of  your  vision.  Such,  at  least,  was  the 


162         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

case  with  myself.  After  gazing  to  the  full  upon  the  loveliness  of  a  calru 
and  unruffled  sea,  reflecting,  as  a  mirror,  the  bright  rays  of  the  sun,  I 
turned  my  thoughts,  or  rather  they  turned  themselves  with  something 
like  magnetic  attraction,  to  my  own  beloved  home.  Thoughts  of  home, 
under  such  circumstances,  are  unutterably  sweet.  But  it  were  vain  to 
attempt  a  description  of  the  imaginary  interviews  which  I  held  with  her 
whom  I  early  led  to  the  altar,  and  to  whom  I  have  plighted  my  faith, 
and  the  precious  little  babes,  the  fair  fruits  of  our  early  love.  Though 
far  away,  I  can  commend  them  with  confidence  to  the  .care  and  protec 
tion  of  the  Shepherd  of  Israel,  who  never  slumbers  nor  sleeps. 

"In  walking  to  and  fro  upon  the  deck  of  the  ship,  my  attention  was 
arrested  by  the  motly  character  of  the  steerage  passengers.  Some  ap 
peared  to  be  decent  and  respectable  people ;  they  were  neatly  and  tidily 
dressed,  and  were  quite  prepossessing  in  their  carriage  and  demeanour. 
Poverty  had  doomed  them  to  that  quarter  of  the  ship.  Others  were 
the  very  picture  of  filth,  meanness,  and  consummate  wretchedness. 
Dirty  and  ragged  in  their  apparel,  squalid  in  their  countenances,  low 
and  vulgar  in  their  behaviour,  the  very  refuse  and  off-scouring  of  the 
earth,  I  was  really  glad  that  they  were  going  away  from  our  shores. 
Our  ship,  in  its  cabin  and  steerage  passengers,  its  officers  and  crew,  pre 
sents  no  mean  picture  of  the  world,  in  its  various  divisions  and  classes 
of  society. 

' '  I  was  much  struck  with  the  various  efforts  of  my  fellow-passengers 
to  while  away  the  time.  Though  they  would  have  shuddered  at  the 
thought  of  death,  they  evidently  had  more  time  than  they  knew  what  to 
do  with.  They  tried  cards,  and  dice,  and  chess  ;  they  would  walk,  and 
yawn,  and  smoke,  and  loll ;  and,  after  all,  sigh  out  in  awful  moans  under 
the  intolerable  burden  of  too  much  time.  Ah  me!  on  a  dying  bed 
these  wasted  hours  will  be  like  fiends  from  hell!,  to  torture  and  harass  the 
burdened  soul.  How  important  is  the  caution  of  the  Apostle,  'Ee- 
deeming  the  time  P  Mark  that  word,  redeeming.  It  implies  scarcity ; 
it  teaches  that  time  must  be  purcJiased;  but  who,  until  a  dying  hour, 
now  finds  time  scarce,  or  feels  constrained  to  buy  it  ? 

"Saturday,  May  22d. — It  is  now  Saturday  night,  and  I  must  prepare 
for  the  holy  Sabbath.  My  Bible  and  Confession  of  Faith  are  my  tra 
velling  companions,  and  precious  friends  have  they  been  to  me.  I 
bless  God  for  that  glorious  summary  of  Christian  doctrine  contained  in 
our  noble  standards.  It  has  cheered  my  soul  in  many  a  dark  hour,  and 
sustained  me  in  many  a  desponding  moment.  I  love  to  read  it,  and 
ponder  carefully  each  proof -text  as  I  pass  along. 

"Monday,  May  2±th. — I  begin  to  feel  very  strongly  the  tameness 
and  monotony  of  a  sea  voyage.  When  your  curiosity  is  gratified,  and 
the  freshness  of  novelty  subsides,  you  become  very  much  wearied  with  the_ 
continual  recurrence  of  the  same  prospects  and  the  same  events.  Sky 
and  water,  sky  and  water,  morning,  noon,  and  night,  are  the  constant 
objects  of  contemplation  presented  to  the  eye.  The  only  variety  in  the 
scene  is  made  by  the  changes  in  the  wind,  the  sporting  of  the  fish,  the 


VOYAGE  TO  EUROPE.  163 

flying  of  the  sea-gulls,  and  the  curious  movements  of  Mother  Carey's 
chickens ;  and  even  these  partake,  in  a  few  days,  of  the  same  general 
monotony.  Calms  are  the  school  of  patience ;  storms,  of  faith  ;  and  a 
voyage,  as  a  whole,  a  fine  school  for  every  Christian  grace.  And  yet  the 
very  circumstances  by  which  it  is  adapted  to  discipline  the  graces  of 
the  spirit,  call  out  into  powerful  actfon  the  contrary  vices  of  the  carnal 
heart ;  and  hence  sailors  are  proverbially  the  most  wicked  and  aban 
doned  men  on  earth.  Those  who,  of  all  others,  have  the  most  to  re 
mind  them  of  their  dependence  upon  God,  who  require  His  breezes  to 
waft  them  on  their  way,  and  His  protection  in  the  perils  of  the  storm, 
are.  of  all  others,  the  most  forgetful  of  His  claims,  and  most  thoroughly 
unmindful  of  His  being.  What  a  proof  of  His  goodness  when  so  many 
ships  are  spared,  manned  by  blasphemers,  and  mingling  the  voice  of 
cursing  and  imprecation  with  every  murmur  of  the  wind !  Surely  His 
tender  mercies  are  over  all  His  works. 

"It  is  now  ten  o'clock  at  night.  I  was  forcibly  struck  to-day  with 
the  propensity  of  my  heart  to  trust  in  the  creature  rather  than  the  Al 
mighty.  About  twelve  o'clock  we  were  threatened  with  a  squall ;  the 
wind  was  high,  the  heavens  were  gathering  blackness ;  and  some  of  the 
passengers  began  to  be  alarmed.  I  at  once,  though  I  trust  I  was  not 
wholly  forgetful  of  God,  turned  my  attention  to  the  strength  of  the 
ship  and  the  skill  of  our  sailors  ;  and  found,  I  am  afraid,  full  as  much 
quietude  of  mind,  from  contemplating  the  calmness  and  self -possession 
of  the  captain,  as  from  the  gracious  promises  of  Him  who  says  to  the 
ocean,  '  Thus  far  shalt  thou  come,  and  here  shall  thy  proud  waves  be 
stayed.'  I  pray  that  God  may  deliver  me  from  the  sin  of  unbelief.  I 
know  its  wickedness,  but  I  feel  its  power.  I  strive  and  fight  against 
it,  and  sometimes  am  ready  to  congratulate  myself  that  the  victory  is 
won ;  but  in  an  evil  hour  I  have  fresh  and  mortifying  evidence  that  I 
am  sinful  dust  and  ashes. 

"  Tuesday,  May  2£>th. — We  have  been  nearly  becalmed  all  day,  and  what 
little  progress  we  have  made  has  been  out  of  our  course.  The  effects 
of  a  calm  in  crushing  the  spirits  of  the  passengers  were  very  observable 
at  dinner.  We  all  sat  for  a  long  time  as  mute  as  mice,  until  the  captain, 
with  his  usual  good  humour  and  pleasantry,  broke  the  dismal  silence  with 
some  of  his  lively  jokes.  Such  is  his  exhaustless  store  of  anecdotes 
and  bon-mots,  that  the  most  austere  ascetic  would  find  it  difficult  to 
preserve  his  gravity,  or  maintain  the  rigid  contraction  of  his  features. 
He  fills  up  my  idea  of  what  a  sea-captain  should  be;  in  every  respect  but 
one,  and  that  is  piety.  Polite,  without  affectation  ;  decided,  without  se 
verity  ;  gay.  without  levity  ;  and  humorous,  without  buffoonery,  he  is 
always  pleasant  himself,  and  renders  every  one  pleasant  around  him. 
He  is  a  fair  specimen  of  the  moral  effects  which  a  religious  education 
will  produce,  even  under  the  most  unfavourable  circumstances.  He  was 
trained  among  the  genuine  old  Puritans  of  New  England  ;  and  though 
he  went  to  sea  very  early  in  life,  the  habits  and  impressions  of  his  child 
hood  adhere  to  him ;  and  he  has  been  preserved,  by  his  early  instruc- 


164  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOBNWELL. 

tion,  from  the  countless  temptations  and  abandoned  dissipations  of  a 
sailor's  life.  His  external  deportment  is  not  only  blameless  and  irre 
proachable,  but  to  a  certain  extent,  exemplary  ;  and  apparently,  all  that 
he  wants  is  a  new  heart.  Ah !  what  a  want  is  that. 

"  Wednesday,  May  2§th. — At  this  moment,  ten  o'clock  at  night,  we 
have  a  most  convincing  illustration*  of  the  vanity  and  folly  of  trusting 
in  the  flesh.  We  are  now  on  the  edge  of  the  banks  of  Newfoundland, 
enveloped  in  a  mist  so  thick  and  dark  that  we  can  hardly  see  twice  the 
length  of  the  ship  ahead  ;  in  the  very  regions  of  mountains  of  ice, 
without  the  probability  of  discerning  when  we  approach  them,  and  com 
pelled  to  sound  a  constant  alarm  of  bells,  to  prevent  ourselves  from 
coming  in  collision  with  other  vessels.  In  such  circumstances  what  can 
the  skill  of  man  accomplish  ?  What  can  human  prudence  or  sagacity 
achieve  ?  When  we  consider  the  multitude  of  vessels  that  pass  these 
banks,  shrouded  in  almost  midnight  darkness  at  noonday,  and  yet  pre 
served  from  the  desolation  of  the  icebergs,  how  clear  is  the  proof  of  a 
guiding  hand  upon  us,  and  of  a  superintending  Providence  above  us ! 
Those  who  have  not  seen  it,  can  form  no  conception  of  the  impenetra 
ble  thickness  of  the  mists  that  here  overhang  the  sea.  It  is  like  an  im 
mense  body  of  smoke  lying  upon  the  bosom  of  the  waters,  and  shutting 
out  every  prospect,  either  of  sky  or  ocean,  from  the  eye  of  the  observer. 
It  is,  indeed,  awful  to  witness  ! 

"  Thursday,  May  27th. — We  sail  to-day  amid  unseen  dangers  on 
every  hand.  The  water  is  very  near  the  freezing  point,  an  impenetra 
ble  fog  hangs  around  the  ship,  and  we  know  not  at  what  moment  we 
may  be  dashed  against  a  mountain  of  ice,  and  consigned  to  a  watery 
grave.  Already  this  morning  have  we  met  the  shattered  fragments  of 
some  vessel  that  has  recently  met  her  fate  in  these  dreary  regions.  How 
awful  is  a  wreck !  How  solemn  and  how  prayerful  should  we  be,  when, 
we  pass  among  the  melancholy  memorials  of  those  who  have  been  lost — 
suddenly,  unexpectedly,  awfully  lost — upon  the  yawning  deep  !  Oh !  it  is 
fearful ;  in  the  full  career  of  manhood,  in  health  and  strength,  with  all 
our  energies  about  us,  buoyant  with  hope,  away  from  friends  that  we 
love,  and  a  family  that  we  fondly  cherish,  to  meet  death  riding  in  terror 
upon  the  foaming  billows ;  to  die  in  the  full  consciousness  of  death  ; 
to  die  when  we  feel  that  we  are  full  of  life.  Great  God !  preserve  me, 
preserve  us  all  from  this  dreadful  end  ! 

"About  sunset  it  became  so  frightfully  dark  that  the  captain  could 
not  venture  to  proceed,  and  accordingly,  in  sailor  dialect,  'lay  to.1 
In  about  two  hours  afterwards  the  wind  shifted  to  the  northwest,  and 
dissipated  the  fog  so  that  we  were  able  to  go  on.  And  here  we  are 
now  under  full  sail,  with  a  fine  breeze  and  a  clear  sky,  and  the  moon 
reflecting  her  silver  light  upon  the  bosom  of  the  waters.  I  here  record 
my  solemn  conviction,  that  God  has  favoured  us  in  answer  to  prayer. 
My  own  heart  has  been  going  out  in  humble  supplication,  and  I  am 
sure  that  others  on  board  have  an  interest  at  the  throne  of  grace.  Oh ! 
it  is  a  delightful  view  of  the  Divine  character,  which  the  psalmist  gives- 
us  in  these  words  :  '  Thou  that  hearest  prayer.' 


VOYAGE  TO   EUROPE.  165 

"I  shudder  to  think  of  the  dangers  through  which  we  have  passed 
to-day.  Every  precaution  which  human  skill  or  prudence  could  suggest 
was  adopted  ;  but  still  our  limited  vision  rendered  our  situation  appall 
ing,  and  OUT  safety  must  be  ascribed  to  Him  who  holds  the  sea  in  the 
hollow  of  His  hand.  By  the  grace  of  God,  which  marvellously  enabled 
me  to  trust  in  His  protection,  I  was  calm  and  composed  ;  and  never  in 
my  life  enjoyed  so  richly  the  portion  of  the  Larger  Catechism  extending 
from  question  178  to  the  close.  The  answers  there  set  down,  and  the 
various  proof-texts,  precious  jewels  from  the  exhaustless  mine  of  God's 
holy  Word,  contain  a  summary  of  Christian  instruction,  and  a  model  of 
Christian  spirit,  which  cannot  be  too  faithfully  studied.  I  have  read 
the  creeds  of  most  Christian  bodies  ;  I  have  been  rejoiced  at  the  general 
harmony  of  Protestant  Christendom  in  the  great  doctrines  of  the  gos 
pel  ;  but  I  know  of  no  uninspired  production,  in  any  language,  or  of  any 
denomination,  that,  for  richness  of  matter,  clearness  of  statement, 
soundness  of  doctrine,  scriptural  expression,  and  edifying  tendency, 
can  for  a  moment  enter  into  competition  with  the  Westminster  Confes 
sion  and  Catechisms.  It  was  a  noble  body  of  divines,  called  by  a  noble 
body  of  statesmen,  that  composed  them  ;  and  there  they  stand,  and  will 
stand  for  ever,  the  monuments  alike  of  religious  truth  and  civil  freedom. 

"Monday,  May  3lst. — To-day  we  have  a  rough  sea;  our  vessel  is 
tossing  upon  the  waters  like  an  egg-shell,  and  most  of  the  passengers 
are  sick.  About  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  had  a  most  terrific 
squall.  The  waves  were  rolling  like  mountains,  and  every  moment  it 
seemed  that  our  gallant  ship  must  be  engulphed.  She  was  dashed  now 
upon  one  side,  now  upon  the  other,  now  plunging  her  bow  under  huge 
billows  which  broke  over  her,  and  seemed  as  if  they  would  sink  her ; 
and  then  riding  the  waves  as  if  in  defiance  of  their  fury ;  the  sea  mean 
while  foaming,  and  dashing,  and  roaring  like  constant  thunder,  and  the 
wind  howling  through  the  rigging  with  deafening  violence,  while  the 
heavens  were  scowling  in  blackness.  The  whole  scene  was  one  of  ter 
ror  and  sublimity,  which  baffles  all  description.  One  could  hardly  re 
sist  the  impression  that  the  vessel  was  conscious  of  her  danger.  She 
appeared  to  prepare  herself  to  meet  every  wave,  and  to  withstand  every 
gust  of  wind.  Sometimes  we  would  appear  to  be  several  feet  beneath 
the  general  level  of  the  whole  body  of  the  sea  ahead,  which  seemed 
rolling  on  to  meet  and  crush  us ;  but  the  vessel,  as  if  instinct  with  life, 
would  raise  her  bow  and  dash  forward,  as  if  driven  by  ten  thousand 
furies,  and  fleeing  for  her  safety. 

"  Thursday \  June  'Ad. — Wind  against  us  all  day.  Six  weeks  this 
night  have  rolled  around,  since  I  bid  farewell  to  my  beloved  family.  I 
can  see  my  wife  now  in  the  posture  of  patient  resignation  and  holy  sor 
row,  in  which  she  sat  when,  with  a  throbbing  heart,  I  bid  her  a  mourn 
ful  farewell.  I  can  see  my  cherub  babes,  all  unconscious  as  they  were 
that  evening  of  what  was  taking  place ;  I  can  see  them  now  smiling  be 
fore  me  in  the  loveliness  of  infancy,  and  all  the  fond  endearments  of 
home  are  crowding  around  my  heart.  Well  might  Cowper  say, 


166  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

"  '  Domestic  happiness  !  thou  only  bliss 
Of  Paradi.se,  that  hast  survived,  the  fall ! 
Thou  art  the  nurse  of  virtue  ;  in  thine  arms 
She  smiles,  appearing,  as  in  truth  she  is, 
Heaven-born,  and  destined  to  the  skies  again.' 

"  Monday,  June  7th. — I  preached  yesterday.  The  cabin  and  steerage 
passengers,  with  the  crew,  made  a  very  good  congregation,  and  they  lis 
tened  very  attentively.  Wind  against  us  yesterday  and  to-day." 

"  Monday,  June  l±th. — After  a  succession  of  head-winds  we  at  length 
have  a  favourable  breeze,  which  has  diffused  joy  and  gladness  through 
out  the  ship.  We  have  been  sailing  to-day  along  the  coast  of  Ireland, 
having  passed  Kensale,  Cork,  and  Waterford. 

"  Tuesday,  June  15th. — Sailing  to-day  along  the  coast  of  Wales,  and 
a  picturesque  coast  it  is.  We  took  a  pilot  on  board  about  two  o'clock 
P.  M 

"  Wednesday,  June  16th. — We  entered  the  docks  at  Liverpool  early 
this  morning ;  and  I  took  my  breakfast  in  the  Grecian  Hotel,  devoutly 
thankful  for  my  safe  passage.  The  Lord's  name  be  praised  for  all  Kis 
mercies,  and  may  He  continue  his  loving  kindness  through  all  my  wan 
derings,  and  through  all  my  life." 


CHAPTER    XIII. 
LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  LIVERPOOL. — WARMTH  OF  ENGLISH  POLITICS. — DE 
SCRIPTION  OF  CHESTER  AND  ITS  ANTIQUITIES. — A  NOBLEMAN'S  ESTATE. 
— DESCRIPTION  OF  LONDON. — ITS  INTERESTING  ASSOCIATIONS  AND 
STRIKING  CONTRASTS. — GOES  TO  SCOTLAND. — DESCRIPTION  OF  GLAS 
GOW. — INTERCOURSE  WITH  THE  SECEDERS. — ACCOUNT  OF  PLACES  VIS 
ITED  ON  HIS  JOURNEY. — KENILWORTH. — WARWICK. — STRATFORD-UPON- 
AVON. — MELROSE  ABBEY. — DRYBURGH. — IMPRESSIONS  OF  PARIS. — ITS 
LIONS. — RETURN  HOME. — PATRIOTISM. 

IT  is  tantalizing  that  Dr.  Thornwell  should  have  made 
two  visits  to  Europe,  leaving  behind  no  detailed  ac 
count  of  what  he  saw,  and  of  the  impressions  made  upon 
his  own  mind.  In  both  instances,  however,  he  was  in 
feeble  health,  and  his  stay  exceedingly  brief.  Little  more 
could  be  accomplished  by  him  than  to  maintain  a  regular 
correspondence  with  his  family,  upon  which  we  are  thrown, 
in  this  chapter,  for  all  that  is  known  of  his  first  trip : 

"LIVERPOOL,  June  16,  1841. 

"MY  DEAREST,  MOST  PRECIOUS  WIFE:  Twenty-eight  days  have 
elapsed  since  I  left  New  York,  in  the  fine  packet-ship,  '  Columbus,' 
under  the  command  of  my  old  friend,  Captain  Barstowe ;  and  here  I 
am  now  in  'merry  old  England,'  safe,  sound,  and  hearty.  *  *  *  As 
I  know  that  you  must  be  very  anxious  in  regard  to  my  health,  I  shall 
state  at  once  that  the  voyage  has  been  of  immense  service  to  me.  I 
look  fifty  per  cent,  better  than  I  did  when  I  left  New  York,  and  a  hun 
dred  times  better  than  when  I  left  Charleston  and  Columbia.  I  am 
sorry  that  you  were  distressed  with  the  false  report  of  my  having  had  a 
hemorrhage  on  the  road.  I  hare  had  none  since  I  left  home.  I  had  a 
cold  in  Charleston,  from  riding  at  night,  but  that  passed  off  before  I 
left  the  city.  At  this  time  my  appetite  is  unusually  fine  ;  and,  in  jus 
tice  to  England,  I  must  say  that  there  is  everything  to  gratify  it.  My 
complexion  is  clear  and  healthful,  my  digestion  uncommonly  good,  and 
in  every  respect  I  have  abundant  reasons  for  thankfulness  to  the  Giver 
of  all  good.  I  firmly  believe  that  the  crossing  of  the  ocean  has  been 

167 


168  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

the  very  making  of  me  ;  and  I  now  rejoice  that  the  passage  was  long, 
because  the  sea-air  has  been  so  eminently  serviceable.  You  cannot 
imagine  how  it  has  strengthened  me. 

' '  You  may  wish  to  know  something  about  Liverpool.  As  a  matter 
of  course,  one  day's  acquaintance  is  too  short  for  forming  a  very  correct 
opinion.  The  docks,  which  are  about  the  greatest  curiosity  here,  are 
immensely  large  ;  built  of  stone,  and  crowded  with  vessels  from  all 
parts  of  the  world.  They  extend  something  like  two  miles,  and  for  all 
that  space  are  literally  crammed  with  ships,  their  masts  pointing  to  the 
skies  like  huge  forests,  and  their  colours  gracefully  floating  to  the 
breeze.  There  is  nothing  in  all  America  like  these  spacious  docks. 
The  tides  in  our  country  do  not  rise  high  enough  to  adirit  of  them  ; 
and  here  they  rise  too  high  to  admit  of  what  we  have  in  all  our  cities — 
wharves.  At  high  tide  here  the  water  rises  nineteen  feet.  The  public 
buildings  in  Liverpool  are  on  a  magnificent  scale,  much  larger  and  finer 
than  buildings  of  the  same  sort  in  America ;  but  they  are  deplorably 
smoky  and  dingy  from  the  immense  quantities  of  coal  consumed  here. 
The  stores  and  private  buildings  are  not  so  handsome  as  they  are  in 
New  York  or  Philadelphia.  The  streets  are  narrow  and  crowded,  and, 
in  some  parts  of  the  town,  disgustingly  filthy.  The  police  is  stationed, 
a  man  for  about  every  fifty  yards,  along  every  street,  so  as  to  be  within 
a  moment's  call  for  the  purpose  of  suppressing  mobs,  riots,  and  all  dis 
order.  You  see  an  immense  poor  population  here,  all  ragged  and  dirty, 
and  begging  for  alms  at  almost  every  corner  you  turn.  Sometimes 
you  meet  a  wretched,  squalid  woman  in  ragged  clothes,  barefooted, 
with  a  sheet,  or  something  like  it,  tied  around  her,  and  two  or  three 
little  children  fastened  in  it,  begging  for  bread,  or  alms  of  some  sort, 
and  exciting  your  compassion  by  pointing  to  the  helpless  condition  of 
her  babes.  I  am  told  that  these  children  are  frequently  borrowed,  and 
carried  about  fraudulently,  for  the  purpose  of  touching  the  feelings  of 
spectators.  I  was  walking  along  in  a  street  to-day,  in  a  very  dirty  part 
of  the  town,  and  found  the  cellars,  damp,  dark,  and  filthy,  occupied  by 
families  poorer  than  the  poorest  that  I  ever  saw  in  America.  Some 
times  two  or  three  families,  amounting  to  about  twenty  persons,  live  in 
a  single  room,  several  feet  under  ground,  in  a  hole  not  larger  than  our 
pantry,  with  not  a  single  window  in  it,  and  pay  nearly  all  that  they  can 
earn  by  hard  labour  for  their  rent.  This  is  tcretchedness,  this  is  poverty 
indeed.  Those  who  can  get  enough  to  eat  have  a  very  healthful,  ruddy 
appearance.  Their  faces  looked  so  red  and  rosy  that  my  first  impres 
sion  was  that  they  painted.  But  I  am  told  it  is  the  natural  complexion 
of  the  people. 

"  I  like  the  plan  of  the  English  hotels  very  much.  A  man  is  as  private 
in  them  as  in  his  o\vn  house.  You  order  whatever  you  wish  for  your 
meals ;  are  charged  for  what  you  get,  and  eat  it  in  your  own  dining 
room.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  public  table.  Every  man  or  family, 
eats  when  and  what  he  pleases.  The  cooking  is  superb  ;  everything  is 
clean  and  tidy  ;  nothing  out  of  place  ;  and  the  servants  are  prompt,  and 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  169 

active,  and  as  polite  as  French  dancing-masters.  I  have  arrived  here  at 
the  finest  season  of  the  year.  Strawberries  and  cherries  are  just  ripe, 
and  Liverpool  abounds  with  them.  The  strawberries  are  about  four 
times  as  large  as  ours.  We  have  also  gooseberries  in  abundance,  but 
they  are  dreadfully  sour.  The  beef  is  delicious ;  and  such  coffee  as  I 
have  drunk  here  I  have  not  tasted  in  many  a  day  before.  In  short,  so 
far  as  my  outer  man  is  concerned,  I  abound  in  comforts.  *  *  *  I 
have  no  difficulty  in  getting  along  here.  I  feel  perfectly  at  home.  I 
hear  my  own  language,  see  many  of  the  customs  with  which  I  am  famil 
iar,  and  cannot  realize  that  I  am  among  strangers. 

"I  have  been  amused  here  with  the  warmth  with  which  the  people 
discuss  politics.  They  are  just  as  violent  as  they  are  in  America.  You 
see  handbills  stuck  up  along  the  streets,  by  the  different  parties,  just  as 
there  was  in  Columbia,  during  the  contest  between  Van  Buren  and  Har 
rison.  The  tories  and  whigs  are  equally  violent,  and  equally  abusive. 
They  have  ptiblic  meetings,  make  furious  speeches,  abiise  the  Govern 
ment,  curse  one  another,  generally  close  by  raising  a  mob,  and  these  are 
scattered  by  the  police.  Another  wonder  to  me,  was  the  prodigious  size 
of  the  dray  horses.  They  are  nearly  as  large  as  elephants,  very  muscular, 
and  two  of  them  draw  the  weight  of  six  or  eight  with  us.  They  are  too 
large,  however,  to  be  active  ;  and  hence  I  have  never  seen  them  move 
faster  than  a  walk.  I  believe,  now,  dearest,  I  have  told  you  all  that  I 
have  seen  during  my  first  day  in  Europe.  There  is  but  one  thing. which 
prevents  me  from  being  perfectly  happy,  so  far  as  this  world  is  concerned  ; 
and  that  is,  you  are  not  with  me.  I  seldom  see  anything  new,  strange. 
or  interesting,  without  thinking  of  you,  and  wishing  that  you  could  see 
it  too.  May  God  bless  you,  and  keep  you.  Have  no  fears  about  me  ; 
the  Lord  will  preserve  me  ;  and  I  feel  every  confidence  that  in  His  own 
good  time  we  shall  meet  again.  His  hand  is  risible  in  my  leaving  home. 
Just  think  of  the  very  little  matter  upon  Avhich  all  my  subsequent 

movements  have  turned.     Prof.  —    failed  to  fill  an  appointment, 

and  that  sent  me  to  Europe.  Two  months  ago,  and  who  dreamed  that 
I  should  be  in  Liverpool  to-day  ?  It  is  the  Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  mar 
vellous  in  my  eyes.  I  feel  that  I  am  a  child  of  a  wonderful  and  myste 
rious  Providence  ;  and  I  am  satisfied  that  good  is  to  arise  out  of  this 
matter.  I  have  never  enjoyed  the  Bible  and  communion  with  God  so 
much  in  all  rny  life,  as  I  did  upon  the  ocean.  I  lived  upon  the  Scrip 
ture,  and  can  truly  say,  that,  in  a  spiritual  point  of  view,  my  voyage 
has  been  of  as  much  service  to  my  soul,  as,  in  a  physical  respect,  it  has 
been  to  my  body.  It  has  been,  too,  a  great  comfort  to  me  to  think  that 
many  of  God's  people  are  praying  for  my  prosperity.  I  wept  freely 
when  I  read  Coifs  letter.  Such  a  friend  is  a  treasure  beyond  all  price. 
*  *  * 

"In  a  day  or  two,  I  shall  leave  Liverpool  for  Ireland,  where  I  shall 
visit  Dublin,  Belfast,  etc.;  and  from  Ireland  proceed  to  Scotland,  and 
make  a  tour  of  two  or  three  weeks  there  ;  and  then  proceed  to  London ; 
so  that  I  shall  not  be  in  London  until  the  last  of  July.  After  finishing 


170  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

the  tour  of  Ireland,  Scotland,  and  England,  I  shall  proceed  to  Paris ; 
thence  to  Switzerland ;  thence  to  Germany  ;  and,  if  I  have  time,  to 
Rome.  If  not,  I  shah1  return  to  Liverpool,  and  probably  take  a  ship 
directly  for  Charleston.  But  it  is  useless  to  calculate  so  far  ahead ;  I  may 
change  my  mind  a  hundred  times.  And  now,  dearest,  I  must  bring  this 
long,  hasty  scrawl  to  a  close.  Kiss  the  dear  little  babes  for  me,  remem 
ber  me  to  all  our  friends,  and  be  perfectly  at  ease  about  my  health,  com 
mitting  me  to  the  care  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ.  God 
bless  you  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus. 
"  Your  devoted  husband. 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


"LONDON,  June  28th,  1841. 

"My  OWN  MOST  PRECIOUS  NANCY  :  You  will  probably  be  greatly  sur 
prised  to  find  that  I  am  in  London  so  soon,  having  written  to  you  that 
I  purposed  visiting  Ireland  and  Scotland  first.  But  two  circumstances 
induced  me  to  change  ruy  route.  One  was  the  badness  of  the  weather. 
The  day  that  I  had  fixed  on  for  going  to  Dublin  was  a  windy,  gusty 
day,  and  I  did  not  feel  like  going  to  sea  in  a  strong  gale.  Another  in- 
ducement  for  coming  to  London  at  once,  was  my  anxiety  to  witness  the 
ceremony  of  proroguing  Parliament,  which  was  done  last  Tuesday. 
After  all,  however,  I  did  not  see  it,  as  I  was  misinformed  aboiit  the 
time,  and  got  there  too  late.  I  must  now  attempt  to  give  an  account 
of  myself  since  I  last  wrote  you. 

' '  From  Liverpool  I  went  to  Chester,  about  sixteen  miles  off,  one  of 
the  oldest  towns  in  England.  It  is  situated  upon  the  river  Dee,  has  a 
large  thick  wall  built  entirely  around  it,  which  affords  a  splendid  walk 
of  a  summer  afternoon,  the  wall  having  a  balustraded  walk  on  the  top, 
large  enough  for  two  persons  to  go  abreast  This  wall  was  built  when 
England  was  in  possession  of  the  Romans.  It  has  several  towers,  in 
tended  originally  as  stations  for  watchmen  upon  the  wall,  and  which  no77 
afford  very  fine  views  of  the  country  around.  Upon  one  of  these  towers 
Charles  the  First  beheld  the  rout  of  his  army  at  Marston  moor.  There  ia 
an  inscription  upon  it  commemorative  of  the  fact.  Most  of  the  houses  in 
Chester  are  constructed  Tipon  a  very  peculiar  plan.  '  They  are  excavated 
from  the  rock  (Chester  being  situated  on  a  rocky  eminence)  to  the  depth 
of  one  story  beneath  the  level  of  the  ground  on  each  side,  and  have  a 
portico  running  along  their  front,  level  with  the  ground  at  their  back, 
but  one  story  above  the  street.  These  porticoes,  which  are  called  the 
Rows,  afford  a  covered  walk  to  pedestrians ;  and  beneath  them  are 
shops  and  warehouses  on  a  level  with  the  street.'  While  you  are  walk 
ing  along  these  Rows,  you  are  walking  between  shops  and  stalls.  Among 
the  lions  of  Chester,  which,  after  all,  is  distinguished  for  nothing  but 
its  antiquities,  is  the  Castle,  part  of  which  was  built  during  the  time 
of  William  the  Conqueror,  and  part  in  modern  times.  It  is  a  very 
magnificent  building,  comprising  an  armoury  containing  nearly  thirty 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  171 

thousand  stand  of  arms,  tastefully  disposed,  a  gunpowder  magazine,  the 
shire  hall,  with  a  noble  portico,  the  county  gaol.  etc. 

44  Next  comes  the  Cathedral,  a  huge  Gothic  pile,  parts  of  which  were 
built  nearly  twelve  hundred  years  ago.  Like  all  buildings  of  its  class, 
it  is  in  form  of  a  cross.  It  contains  some  curious  monuments,  the 
inscriptions  upon  which  have  been  effaced  by  the  hand  of  time.  Among 
the  illustrious  dead  deposited  within  its  walls  lie  the  remains  of  Travis 
and  Smith.  The  cloisters  of  the  priests  and  monks,  when  it  was  an 
abbey,  in  the  possession  of  the  Roman  Catholics,  prior  to  the  Reforma- 
tion,  are  very  much  worn  by  age.  Though  the  edifice  is  constructed  of 
solid  stone,  its  huge  colossal  pillars  look  as  if  there  had  been  floods  of 
water  constantly  but  slowly  washing  them  away.  The  bishop's  throne, 
upon  which  I  had  the  impudence  to  seat  myself,  feeling  myself  to  be  as 
much  of  a  bishop  as  any  body,  was  formerly  Saint  Werburgh's  shrine. 
I  felt,  in  traversing  its  huge  nave,  and  walking  under  its  lofty  ceiling, 
that  I  was  conversing  with  men  of  a  by-gone  age.  I  could  almost  hear 
the  monks  counting  their  beads  and  muttering  their  idle  prayers,  as 
they  did  in  days  of  yore  in  this  prodigious  pile.  There  is  nothing  spe 
cially  to  recommend  this  building,  but  its  hugeness  and  antiquity.  I 
noticed  within  it  the  monument  of  the  venerable  Bishop  Hall.  I  at 
tended  worship  at  Chester,  in  the  morning  at  an  Independent  chapel, 
and  in  the  afternoon  at  Saint  Peter's  church,  where  I  heard  Rev.  E. 
Bickersteth,  whose  works,  you  know,  I  own.  Both  preachers  wero 
evangelical,  but  their  delivery  was  shocking,  a  real  school-boy  whine. 
Their  gowns  seemed  too  much  in  their  way ;  they  were  constantly 
shrugging  their  shoulders  to  keep  these  worthless  appendages  from 
tumbling  off.  Saint  Peter's  church,  like  the  Cathedral,  tells  of  other 
days.  The  hand  of  time  is  visibly  marked  in  the  wasting  of  its  pillars; 
its  shape  and  structure  also  indicate  a  high  antiquity.  I  was  glad  to 
hear  the  pure  gospel  preached,  however  badly  preached,  where,  three 
centuries  ago,  the  absurd  fooleries  of  Rome  held  undisputed  sway. 
God  grant  that  every  papist  chapel  on  earth  may  witness  the  same 
change.  In  Trinity  church,  another  ancient  edifice  in  Chester,  lie  the 
mortal  remains  of  Matthew  Henry,  the  commentator,  and  the  .  poet, 
Parnell.  The  style  of  architecture,  if  bricks  apparently  thrown  to 
gether  in  heedless  confusion  can  be  called  a  style,  is  evidently  ancient. 
The  houses  are  low,  dreadfully  smoked,  thrown  up  without  taste  or  ele 
gance,  and  shockingly  crowded  together.  Nothing  but  their  age  redeems, 
them  from  contempt ;  and  yet  the  situation  of  the  town  is  fine.  Almost 
around  it  flows  the  river  Dee.  On  one  side  you  have  a  beautiful  view 
of  the  mountains  of  Wales,  on  the  other  a  commanding  prospect  of  the 
hills  of  Cheshire,  while  all  around  the  country  is  lovely  from  its  striking 
undulations.  In  this  city  is  the  famous  cheese  mart  of  England.  It  is 
a  large  area  enclosed  on  all  sides,  where  fairs  are  held  of  cheese  brought 
from  all  parts  of  the  country. 

"  There  are  still  to  be  seen  here  the  remains  of  an  old  Roman  hot  and 
cold  bath  ;  and  some  houses  with  grotesque  devices,  that  might  have 


172}  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

been  erected  in  the  earlier  stages  of  British  history ;  evidently  put  up 
as  early  as  the  Roman  invasion.  This  town,  seven  hundred  years  ago, 
•was  the  scene  of  the  interview  between  Henry  the  Second  and  Malcolm 
the  Fourth ;  and  here,  more  than  five  hundred  years  ago,  Edward  re 
ceived  the  submission  of  the  Welsh.  It  stood  out  for  the  King  during 
the  civil  wars,  but  was  finally  taken  by  the  Parliament,  in  1645.  Its  pop 
ulation  is  about  twenty-two  thousand.  There  are  as  many  buildings  now 
without  as  within  the  walls.  The  old  town  is  on  a  rocky  eminence  ; 
many  of  the  new  buildings  are  in  a  valley ;  and  as  you  walk  upon  the 
old  wall,  you  have  these  buildings  beneath  your  feet ;  and  the  whole  de 
clivity,  down  to  their  level,  is  in  a  rich  state  of  cultivation.  About 
three  miles  from  Chester  is  Eaton  Hall,  the  magnificent  seat  of  the  Mar 
quis  of  Westminster,  one  of  the  richest  noblemen  in  England.  His  in 
come  is  about  five  thousand  dollars  a  day.  His  yard,  as  we  would  call  it, 
embraces  about  thirty  square  miles,  beatitifully  laid  out  in  forests,  gar 
dens,  and  parks.  He  has  been  at  immense  expense  to  import  every  variety 
of  trees,  and  flowers,  and  fruits,  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  His  hot 
houses  cover  several  acres  of  ground ;  and  include  a  fine  peach  orchard,  a 
rich  grape  arbour,  thousands  of  pine-apple  trees,  oranges,  lemons,  and 
every  fruit  of  every  climate ;  and  that,  too,  in  full  perfection.  In  the  midst 
of  his  gardens,  and  just  before  his  door,  winds  the  river  Dee  ;  from  the 
portico  of  his  mansion,  on  one  side,  you  have  a  beautiful  view  of  the 
mountains  of  North  Wales,  and  on  the  other,  of  the  hills  of  Cheshire. 
His  park  is  stocked  with  deer,  grazing  about  as  tame  as  sheep.  I  went 
all  over  his  building,  which  has  recently  been  fitted  up ;  but  its  rich  and 
gorgeous  saloons,  its  plated  furniture,  its  spacious  halls,  I  am  utterly 
unable  to  describe.  His  stables  are  fine,  rich  buildings,  with  heavy 
Gothic  arches  and  windows.  They  would  be  a  palace  for  men,  much 
less'  for  horses.  In  the  gardens  is  an  old  Eornan  altar,  with  nymphs 
and  fountains,  which  the  Marquis  has  preserved. 

"  I  have  now  gone  through  my  description  of  Chester;  from  which  I 
came  on  to  London,  without  stopping  at  any  of  the  intermediate  towns. 
I  reached  London  the  day  that  Parliament  was  prorogued  by  Her  Maj 
esty,  the  Queen,  but  I  did  not  witness  the  ceremony.  I  was  in  the 
Houses  of  Lords  and  Commons,  however,  immediately  after ;  and  guess 
my  surprise  to  see  what  little,  narrow,  contracted  halls  they  were  ;  and 
the  benches  were,  for  all  the  world,  like  school  benches,  except  that  they 
.were  cushioned.  On  expressing  my  astonishment  that  the  British  Legis 
lature  should  meet  in  such  quarters,  I  was  reminded  of  what  I  knew 
before,  that  these  were  only  temporary  accommodations,  the  old  ones 
having  been  burnt ;  and  that  they  were  now  putting  up  magnificent 
buildings  for  the  purpose.  From  these  halls  I  went  to  Whitehall,  where 
Charles  the  First  was  executed  ;  then  to  Westminster  Abbey,  where  our 
noble  Confession  of  Faith  was  drawn  up,  and  where  lie  crowded  to 
gether  the  mighty  dead  of  many  centuries.  Thence  I  went  to  West 
minster  Hall,  a  spacious  area,  originally  built  for  a  banquetiiig-house  ; 
thence  to  the  Parks — Hyde  Park.  Saint  James',  the  Palace,  and  Regent's 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  173 

Park  ;  but  as  I  have  been  here  a  week,  and  have  seen  yet  only  a  corne  r  of 
London,  I  must  reserve  a  description  of  this  vast  metropolis  for  ax«i- 
other  of  my  short  epistles.  One  of  my  first  achievements  was  to  hunt- 
out  the  book  range,  the  famous  Pater  Noster  Kow ;  and  imagine  my 
surprise  to. find  it  a  little,  narrow,  dirty  lane,  where  a  carriage  could 
hardly  pass.  The  whole  region  smelt  of  Popery :  Pater  Noster,  Ave 
Maria,  Amen,  &c.,  being  the  streets  of  the  square.  And  now,  dearest, 
I  must  draw  to  a  close.  In  about  ten  days  more  I  leave  for  Scotland. 
"  Your  most  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 


His  third  letter,  dated  London,  July  2d,  1841,  is  largely 
occupied  with  personal  and  domestic  allusions,  which  would 
have  little  interest  for  the  general  reader;  after  which  he 
proceeds  to  "say: 

"I  have  not  yet  flirted  with  the  Queen,  neither  have  I  seen  Her 
Majesty ;  and  as  I  am  not  disposed  to  pay  one  or  two  hundred  dollars 
for  the  privilege  of  paying  obeisance  .to  royalty,  I  shall  not  seek  the 
honour  of  an  introduction.  You  can  only  be  introduced  in  a  court 
dress ;  which  consists  of  knee-breeches,  silk  stockings,  silver  buckles, 
and  I  know  not  what  trumpery  besides.  I  have  been  all  around  and 
about,  though  not  in,  the  Palace.  I  have  seen  most  of  the  noblemen's 
houses,  and  almost  all  the  lions  of  London.  Mr.  Trezevant's  family, 
who  have  shown  me  great  kindness,  and  Mr.  Stevenson,  are  the  only  ac 
quaintances  I  have  made.  My  object  has  been  to  see ;  and  hence  I  have 
not  been  anxious  to  get  into  society.  I  have  traced  out  all  the  leading 
places  in  London,  rendered  illustrious  by  literary  association.  I  have 
been  in  the  very  cell  in  the  famous  tower,  where  Sir  Walter  Kaleigh  was 
confined,  and  where  he  wrote  his  history  of  the  world.  I  have  stood 
upon  the  spot  where  Anne  Boleyn  was  executed,  and  have  lifted  the  axe 
which  took  off  her  head.  I  have  seen  the  armours  of  kings  and 
knights,  from  eight  hundred  years  ago  to  the  present  time.  I  have  sat 
in  the  great  chair  in  which  all  the  Kings  of  England  have  been  crowned 
for  eight  hundred  years.  I  have  seen  the  monuments  of  the  mighty 
dead,  extending  ten  centuries  back  ;  I  have  stood  upon  the  place  where 
Charles  the  First  was  gloriously  executed,  and  have  been  entranced  in 
the  chapel  where  our  noble  standards  were  compiled.  I  have  gazed 
upon  the  edifice  in  which  Watts  and  Owen  preached,  though  it  is  now 
sadly  dilapidated,  and  has  ceased  to  be  a  church.  I  have  been  in  the 
range  where  Johnson  lived,  and  where  the  literary  men  of  his  day  mot 
their  clubs.  The  inn  is  still  standing  where  the  poet  Chaucer  and 
twenty-nine  pilgrims,  were  accommodated  on  their  journey  to  Canter 
bury.  London  is  full  of  literary  associations.  It  has  been  the  scene  of 
great  and  glorious  events,  as  well  as  others  of  a  contrary  character.  I 


174: 


LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 


havj  been  in  all  the  villages  for  ten  miles  around  London,  visiting  some 
b;  land,  and  others  by  boats  upon  the  river  Thames.  It  is  impossible, 
Jo.  the  compass  of  a  single  letter,  to  give  anything  like  a  description 
of  this  vast  metropolis,  and  of  the  exquisite  loveliness  and  beauty  of  the 
country  and  villages  around.  But  I  often  think  of  Byron's  description 
of  it  in  'Don  Juan  :' 


"  '  A  mighty  mass  of  brick,  and  stone,  and  shipping, 
Dirty  and  dusky,  but  as  wide  as  eye 
Can  reach  ;  with  here  and  there  a  sail  just  skipping 
In  sight,  then  lost  amid  the  forestry 
Of  masts  ;  a  wilderness  of  steeples  peeping 
On  tip-toe,  through  their  sea-coal  canopy  ; 
A  huge  dun  cupola,  like  a  foolscap  crown 
On  a  fool's  head — and  there  is  London  town.' 


"The  west  end  of  London,  always  bating  the  smoke,  surpasses  the 
most  extravagant  conception  which  a  stranger  can  form  of  it.  Its  parks 
and  squares,  its  crescents  and  public  buildings,  are  almost  like  enchanted 
ground ;  and  then,  the  great  variety,  the  astonishing  contrasts,  which  a 
short  walk  will  present  you  with,  from  the  Palace  to  Billingsgate,  It  is, 
in  fact,  a  faithful  picture  of  the  world.  Greenwich  Hospital,  and 
Greenwich  Park,  are  themselves  worth  a  trip  across  the  Atlantic  to  see. 
They  are  about  three  miles  from  what  is  called  London,  though  it  is 
built  up  nearly  all  the  way.  I  walk,  on  an  average,  about  ten  miles 
every  day,  gazing,  wondering,  and  cogitating.  I  have  seen  much  of  the 
common  people,  having  arrived  here  at  the  time  of  the  general  elections. 
I  have  attended  some  of  their  meetings,  worming  myself  through  the  vast 
crowds  with  my  hands  on  my  watch  and  my  purse,  for  there  are  some 
prodigiously  light-fingered  gentry  here  ;  and  I  have  witnessed  something 
of  bribery,  fraud,  and  intimidation,  which  are  practised  by  the  rich  and 
great.  It  is  now  a  time  of  intense  political  excitement.  I  must  say. 
that  in  all  that  makes  life  precious,  and  exalts,  refines,  and  elevates  the 
mass  of  the  people,  America  is  immeasurably  superior  to  England. 
Give  me  my  own  country  forever.  I  see  what  is  excellent  in  England  ; 
but  I  see  so  much  of  an  opposite  character,  that  I  must  still  sigh  for 
my  native  land.  The  tories  here  have  a  prodigious  prejudice  against  us, 
and  abolitionism  is,  if  possible,  more  fanatical  here  than  in  America. 

"Next  week  I  shall  leave  London  for  Scotland.  I  shall  travel  leis 
urely,  visiting  all  the  principal  places.  My  health  is  quite  good.  I  feel 
as  strong  as  I  ever  did  ;  much  more  elastic,  and  have  not  the  slightest 
sensation  of  weakness  in  the  chest.  I  feel  confident  that,  by  the  bless 
ing  of  God,  my  health  will  be  quite  restored,  so  that  I  can  return  to  my 
duties  by  the  first  of  December.  In  regard  to  journalizing,  I  cannot 
write  anything  of  interest,  from  want  of  time.  I  could  only  give  a 
meagre  skeleton  of  names  and  places,  with  some  general  description,  that 
would  amount  to  nothing.  My  letters,  I  hope,  will  be  as  interesting  as 
a  journal,  such  as  I  should  be  compelled  to  write.  And  now  dearest, 


I.KTTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  175 

precious  Nancy,  I  commend  you  to  God,  aud  the  word  of  His  grace  ; 
and  believe  me  as  ever, 

"  Your  devoted  husband, 

J.    H,   TlIORNWELL/' 

The  next  letter  is  dated, 

"GLASGOW,  SCOTLAND,  July  15,  1841. 

"Mr  DEAREST  WIFE  :  It  is  with  heartfelt  pleasure  that  I  sit  down  to 
hold  communication  with  her  whom  my  soul  loves,  in  the  only  way 
which  is  now  left  me.  I  feel  that,  in  your  affections,  I  possess  a  prize 
of  inestimable  value ;  and  I  look  forward,  with  interest  and  delight,  to 
the  renewed  joys  which  we  shall  experience  in  the  society  of  each  other, 
when  God  shall  bring  us  together  again,  after  our  long  and  painful  sepa 
ration.  I  have  thought  much  of  the  best  methods  of  sanctifying  our 
love,  and  of  being  fellow-helpers  to  each  other  in  our  heavenly  pil 
grimage.  I  feel  a  renewed  obligation,  from  God's  great  goodness  to 
me  since  I  left  home,  to  devote  myself  wholly,  unreservedly,  to  His 
service  and  glory.  He  has  protected  me  from  danger,  and  has,  I  trust, 
entirely  restored  my  health.  What  can  I  render  to  Him  but  that  life 
which  He  has  preserved,  that  health  which  He  has  restored,  and  that 
strength  which  He  has  increased?  Let  us  both  endeavoiir  to  be  more 
holy,  watchful  and  devoted ;  let  us  endeavour  to  build  each  other  up  in 
the  most  holy  faith.  I  am  afraid  that,  in  past  times,  our  intercourse 
has  not  been  sufficiently  of  a  religious  character.  We  have  both  been 
a  little  shy  in  communicating  our  spiritual  states,  our  joys  or  sorrows, 
our  hopes  and  fears.  If  there  has  been  an  error  of  this  sort,  let  us  try 
to  correct  it  hereafter,  and  delight  more  in  being  heirs  together  of  the 
grace  of  life.  It  is. my  earnest  prayer  that  God  may  give  us  grace  to 
glorify  His  name  in  all  things. 

"I  have  been  in  Glasgow  five  days,  and  have  made  the  acquaintance 
of  several  clergymen,  who  have  treated  me  with  the  utmost  cordiality, 
and  insisted  upon  my  protracting  my  stay  in  order  to  preach  for  them. 
I  had  the  opportunity  also  of  attending  the  meeting  of  the  Presbytery 
of  Glasgow.  The  leaven  of  New  Schoolism,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  is  be 
ginning  to  work  its  way,  even  here.  The  Presbytery  of  Kilmarnock,  at 
its  last  meeting,  deppsed  a  man  from  the  ministry  for  holding  senti 
ments  somewhat  similar  to  those  of  Albert  Barnes.  Error,  howeve^ 
has  yet  made  little  progress  ;  and  the  prompt  steps  of  the  Presbytery, 
which  were  confirmed  and  applauded  by  the  Synod,  I  sincerely  hope 
may  arrest  it.  The  Scotch  are  indeed  a  noble  race ;  a  little  too  much 
inclined  to  bigotry ;  but  if  the  spirit  of  speculation  on  theological  sub 
jects  should  once  become  propagated  among  them,  there  is  no  telling 
where  the  evil  would  stop.  Some  of  the  fathers  of  the.  Church  here  say 
that  I  am  exactly  right  on  the  subject  of  Boards  and  Agencies,  and  urge 
me  to  cry  aloud  and  spare  not.  They  have  strong  sympathy  with  the 
orthodox  among  us.  I  am  glad  to  see  that  they  are  taking  a  decided 


176         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

interest  in  missionary  operations ;  and  have  really  adopted  the  very 
plan,  so  far  as  I  have  yet  been  able  to  learn  their  system,  which  I  re 
commended  in  my  article.  These  Presbyterians  of  whom  I  am  speak 
ing  are  all  Seceders.  I  have  made  no  acquaintances  yet  among  the 
ministers  of  the  Establishment,  though  I  have  heard  one  of  their  most 
distinguished  men,  Dr.  Buchanan,  preach ;  and  a  very  fine  preacher 
he  is. 

"It  is  really  a  treat,  after  coming  out  of  England,  to  see  how  the 
Sabbath  is  observed  in  Scotland.  Everything  on  the  streets  is  as  still 
as  death ;  no  travelling  is  allowed,  and  their  churches  are  all  full  of  at 
tentive  listeners.  The  style  of  preaching  among  the  Seceders  is  emi 
nently  instructive  and  edifying.  They  do  not  allow  the  minister  to 
read.  In  the  Established  Church,  however,  they  generally  read  their 
sermons.  I  have  been  much  interested  in  the  old  Cathedral  here,  where 
the  famous  Assembly  of  1638  was  held,  which  deposed  the  bishops,  de 
fied  the  government,  and  broke  up  Episcopacy  in  Scotland.  It  was  a 
glorious  body,  with  Henderson  at  its  head  ;  and  I  could  not  but  pray  that 
the  land  which  had  been  rendered  illustrious  by  such  a  body,  might  always 
maintain  and  defend  the  noble  and  precious  doctrines,  for  which  that  As 
sembly  testified  and  suffered.  It  is  now  vacation  in  the  University  of 
Glasgow ;  all  the  Professors  are  out  of  town,  so  that  I  have  had  no  op 
portunity  of  becoming  acquainted  with  them.  Glasgow  is  a  much 
larger  city  than  I  expected  to  find  it,  and  much  more  elegantly  built  ; 
it  is  about  the  size  of  Philadelphia.  I  came  to  Glasgow  with  the  inten 
tion  of  visiting  the  Highlands  of  Scotland;  but  the  constant  rains  and 
the  severe  cold,  for  the  season,  have  led  me  to  abandon  the  project.  It 
has  rained  every  day  since  I  left  London,  and  there  is  not  the  least  like 
lihood  of  its  clearing  up  soon.  I  could  not  go  to  the  Highlands,  without 
being  cold  and  wet  all  the  time,  and  I  shall  not  suffer  my  curiosity  to 
lead  me  into  such  folly.  To-morrow  I  leave  for  England  again,  intend 
ing  to  stop  a  few  days  at  Edinburgh ;  and  from  London  shall  set  out 
immediately  for  the  Continent.  I  am  extremely  anxious  to  get  some 
where  where  I  can  see  and  feel  the  sun. 

"In  coming  to  Scotland  I  made  an  extensive  and  interesting  tour 
through  the  country.  I  visited  Kenilworth.  where  are  the  ruins  of  the 
ancient  and  magnificent  castle,  where  Elizabeth  was  sumptuously  enter 
tained  by  Leicester  for  seventeen  days.  The  gorgeous  structure  is  now  a 
mere  waste,  and  part  of  its  former  enclosure  is  now  a  grazing  ground 
for  sheep.  From  Kenilworth  I  went  to  Warwick,  where  there  still  ex 
ists,  in  all  its  original  grandeur,  one  of  the  finest  baronial  castles  in 
England.  There,  among  a  thousand  memorials  of  ancient  times,  I  saw 
the  bed  and  bed-room  furniture  of  Queen  Anne,  which  had  been  presented 
to  the  Earl  of  Warwick  by  George  the  Fourth.  From  Warwick  I  went 
to  Stratford-upon-Avon,  and  saw  the  room  in  which  Shakespeare  was 
born,  and  trod  upon  the  grave  where  his  ashes  repose.  The  walls  of 
the  room  are  covered  with  the  names  of  those  who  have  visited  the  spot, 
as  also  are  several  large  albums.  Two  Americans,  in  their  folly  and 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  177 

enthusiasm,  had  beds  made  for  them  in  the  room,  and  slept  there  all 
night.  Probably  they  thought  that  they  might  catch  something  of 
Shakespeare's  genius.  From  Stratford  I  went  to  Henley,  on  account 
of  its  name,  and  found  it  a  miserable,  dirty  little  village.  From  there 
I  went  to  Birmingham  ;  thence  to  Tamworth,  Derby,  Chesterfield,  York 
(the  chief  city  of  the  North  of  England,  with  the  finest  Cathedral  in  the 
country),  Darlington,  Durham  (another  fine  Cathedral),  and  Newcastle- 
upon-Tyne  ;  thence  I  had  a  dreary  ride  over  the  bleak,  sterile,  and 
desolate  Cheviot  hills  to  Melrose,  in  Scotland.  Here  I  visited  the  in 
teresting  ruins  of  Melrose  Abbey,  the  scene  of  Scott's  Monastery.  About 
four  miles  off,  I  visited  the  ruins  of  Dryburgh  Abbey,  and  saw  the  grave 
of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  and  the  monuments  of  Ralph  and  Ebenezer  Ersk- 
ine,  the  Seceder  divines.  This  Abbey  is  really  enchanted  ground.  It 
is  embowered  in  a  lovely  grove  of  trees,  some  of  which  are  as  old  as  the 
Abbey  itself  (seven  hundred  years),  while  the  Tweed  gently  murmurs 
close  by  it.  After  musing  at  Dryburgh,  I  returned  to  Melrose,  and 
then  visited  Abbotsford.  the  late  residence  of  Scott.  But  I  found  no 
thing  specially  remarkable  there.  The  name  of  Scott  gives  it  all  its 
charm.  I  then  proceeded  to  Edinburgh,  passing  through  Galashiels  and 
Dalkeith,  and  passing  by  Craigmuller  castle,  in  which  Mary,  Queen 
of  Scots,  was  confined.  From  Edinburgh  I  came  to  Glasgow,  passing 
the  ancient  palace  of  Linlithgow,  in  which  the  same  unfortunate  Mary 
was  born. 

"Such  is  the  rapid  outline  cf  my  travels  since  I  last  wrote.  I  have 
been  much  charmed  with  the  beautiful,  undulating  surface  of  England, 
and  the  variegated  scenery  of  Scotland. 

"And  now,  dearest,  I  must  draw  to  a  close.  Kiss  the  children  again 
and  again ;  and  may  God  be  with  yon  and  keep  you,  and  restore  us 
speedily  to  the  beloved  society  of  each  other. 

"  Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

The  last  letter  from  Europe  contains  little  of  general 
interest  to  the  reader.  It  is  dated, 

"PARIS,  July  31,  1841. 

"  Here  I  am  again  writing  to  my  beloved  Nancy,  ten  thousand  times 
dearer  to  me  than  all  the  world  besides.  You  see  that  I  am  in  France, 
as  the  French  say,  '  La  belle  France.'  I  had  a  rough  passage  across  the 
English  channel.  The  boat  did  not  strike  me  as  being  the  best  in  the 
world ;  it  was  old  and  small,  and  we  had  one  hundred  and  twenty  pas 
sengers  on  board.  There  blew  up  a  severe  gale,  and  we  had  to  put  into 
the  most  convenient  port  until  the  gale  was  over.  I  do  not  think  I  ever 
saw  so  much  alarm  and  sea-sickness.  We  were  about  the  most  weather- 
beaten  set  you  ever  saw  when  we  reached  Boulogne,  the  French  port  at 
which  we  were  landed.  We  were  marched  up  in  files  to  an  office,  under 


ITS  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

an  escort  of  a  few  soldiers,  where  our  passports  were  examined.  Oui 
luggage  was  all  sent  to  the  custom-house,  where  it  was  examined  ;  and 
if  all  proved  straight,  as  it  did  with  me,  we  were  permitted  to  travel  on 
without  interruption  to  Paris. 

"The  ride  from  Boulogne  to  Paris  was  not  particularly  interesting 
The  country  was  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation  ;  some  of  the  towns,  such 
as  Montreuil  and  Abbeville,  powerfully  and  strongly  fortified.  On  yes 
terday  morning,  about  6  o'clock,  I  reached  Paris ;  and  I  must  confess 
that  I  was  prodigiously  disappointed  in  the  general  appearance  of  the 
city.  The  streets  are  narrow  and  dirty  ;  the  buildings  tall,  dingy,  and 
irregular,  and  I  did  think  utterly  destitute  of  taste  in  their  arrangements 
and  external  appearance  ;  and  then,  again,  the  extent  and  magnitude  of 
the  city  were  far  short  of  what  I  had  been  led  to  anticipate.  Compared 
with  London,  Paris  is  a  mere  child  in  size,  richness,  and  grandeur.  But 
although  I  was  disappointed  in  the  French  metropolis  as  a  whole,  when 
I  descended  to  the  examination  of  its  particular  parts,  my  most  san 
guine  expectations  were  more  than  realized.  The  public  buildings,  the 
Tuileries,  with  its  spacious  gardens ;  the  Champs  d'Elysees,  the  cathe 
drals,  the  libraries,  the  galleries  of  painting  and  statuary,  exceed  any  des 
cription  which  I  could  be  able  to  give.  You  have  heard  a  great  deal  of 
the  Boulevards.  What  do  you  suppose-they  are  ?  Why,  nothing  in  the 
world  but  a  long  street  with  trees  planted  along  the  sidewalks  for  shade. 
It  extends  about  four  miles ;  it  is  pleasant  and  beautiful,  and  that  is 
about  all  you  can  say  of  it.  The  gardens  of  the  Tuileries  are  splendid, 
and  all  through  the  walks  are  scattered  various  specimens  of  statuary. 
The  French  have  a  perfect  passion  for  paintings  and  statues,  and  in  this 
respect  Paris  excels  London.  The  Elysian  Fields  are  lovely  beyond 
all  comparison.  The  Chamber  of  Deputies  is  a  fine  Grecian  building, 
and  the  Madeline  is  the  most  magnificent  edifice  I  ever  beheld.  The 
Royal  Library,  which  I  traversed  through  and  through,  contains  eight 
hundred  thousand  volumes.  The  French  hotels  are  far  inferior  to  the 
English  or  American  in  neatness,  elegance,  and  comfort  ;  but  their  ser 
vants  are  much  more  interesting.  The  French,  from  the  lowest  to  the 
highest,  are  naturally  polite,  and  are  free  from  the  stiffness  and  formality 
of  English  manners.  *  *  *  * 

"  Of  course  there  is  no  such  thing  as  Sunday  here.  A  tradesman  will 
engage  to  have  your  boots  or  your  coat  done  on  Sunday  as  readily  as  on 
Saturday.  Such  is  the  blessed  result  of  Popery.  It  is  religion  enough 
to  have  splendid  churches,  and  burn  candles  all  day  before  doll-baby 
images.  Nothing  more  is  required  to  get  to  heaven.  Alas,  for  the 
superstition,  the  wretched  superstition,  which  in  this  enlightened  age 
covers  so  fair  a  portion  of  the  globe  !  But  the  Protestants  are  bestirring 
themselves  in  France.  God  grant  them  rich  and  glorious  success.  *  *  * 

"Next  week  I  intend  setting  out  for  Geneva,  the  scene  of  Calvin's 
labours.  I  think  it  doubtful  if  I  shall  be  able  to  get  to  Kome.  If  the 
snows  are  very  heavy  in  the  Alps,  I  shall  not  attempt  it ;  but  shall  go 
probably  into  Belgium  and  Prussia,  and  then  return  to  England.  If  I 


LETTERS  FROM  EUROPE.  179 

find,  however,  that  I  can  go  to  Rome  without  any  difficulty,  and  make 
up  my  mind  to  do  so,  I  shall  not  go  into  Belgium  or  Germany  at  all. 
It  will  be  too  cold  by  the  time  of  my  return  from  Italy.  When  I  shall 
direct  my  steps  homeward  I  cannot  positively  say  now.  If  I  were  to 
consult  my  own  feelings  instead  of  my  interest,  I  should  set  out  at 
once.  *  *  *  *  My  health  now  is  as  good  as  it  ever  has  been  in  my 
life  ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  would  have  been  better  still,  if  I  had 
not  staid  so  long  in  the  trying,  cold,  and  rainy  climate  of  England.  I 
have  no  cough,  no  blood-spitting ;  a  fine  appetite,  a  good  digestion.  I 
do  not  know  that  I  am  any  fatter  than  I  always  was.  I  belong  to  the 
lean  tribe,  and  am  afraid  there  is  no  prospect  of  my  ever  getting  much 
meat  upon  my  bones.  *  *  * 

"The  General  Assembly  of  Scotland  was  over  before  I  reached 
Europe.  It  was  held  in  May,  about  the  same  time  with  our  own.  I 
have  seen  the  proceedings  of  our  own,  which  really  amounted  to  noth 
ing.  Some  very  important  matters  were  completely  slurred  over.  But 
still,  I  think  the  prospect  of  a  return  to  the  old  paths  is  encouraging, 
and  I  thank  God  for  what  He  has  already  done  for  us,  I  have  gath 
ered  some  important  facts  about  the  state  of  religion  in  England  and 
America,  which  I  shall  be  able  to  use  to  advantage  when  I  get  home. 
You  will  be  delighted  to  hear  that  the  religious  condition  of  America  is 
far  superior  to  that  of  Europe. 

"And  now,  dearest  Nancy,  I  am  at  the  end  of  my  paper.  A  thousand 
kisses  for  you  and  the  children.  May  heaven's  richest  blessings  rest 
upon  you.  Pray  constantly  for  me,  love,  as  I  do  for  you.  The  Lord 
has  preserved  me  hitherto,  and  I  shall  need  His  protection  to  the  end. 
As  soon  as  I  can  return,  I  will.  Besides  the  charms  of  my  own  family, 
my  own  country  has  a  thousand  attractions  for  me.  I  candidly  believe 
that  America  is  the  first  nation  on  the  globe  ;  and  all  through  the  conti 
nent  of  Europe,  the  American  flag  is  honoured  and  respected.  I  am 
proud  of  my  nation,  and  prouder  still,  after  having  seen  others.  May 
God  bless  you  and  keep  you. 

Believe  me,  as  ever,  your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


The  chart  of  travel  here  laid  down  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  pursued;  for,  on  the  3d  of  September,  we  find 
a  letter,  written  in  New  York,  announcing  his  arrival  in 
his  native  land,  and  that  a  few  days  of  railroad  speed  will 
place  him  once  more  in  the  bosom  of  his  family.  The 
patriotic  fervour  which  glows  in  the  closing  sentence  of 
the  preceding  letter  was  one  of  the  deepest  sentiments  in 
Dr.  Thorn  well's  heart ;  of  which  there  will  be  occasion  to 
speak  more  fully  hereafter.  Perhaps  the  most  amusing, 


180  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

as  well  as  enthusiastic,  exhibition  of  it,  was  given  in  con 
nexion  with  this  return.  In  his  land  journey  from  Char 
lotte,  North  Carolina,  to  Lancaster,  where  his  family  then 
was,  it  is  related  of  him  that,  upon  crossing  the  line 
which  separates  the  two  Carolinas,  he  sprung  suddenly 
out  of  the  carriage,  prostrated  himself  upon  the  soil  of  his 
native  State,  and  kissed  it  reverently  with  his  lips.  It 
was  but  the  sign  of  a  devotion  more  conspicuously  illus 
trated  at  a  later  date.  In  truly  earnest  natures,  wrhat  is 
merely  sentiment  with  others  becomqs  a  deep  and  con 
suming  passion  ;  and  there  was  a  depth  in  this  man's  soul,, 
which  it  took  a  mighty  civil  revolution  to  disclose. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY. 

THIS  CHAPTER  A  DIGRESSION.  —  REASONS  FOR  IT.  —  STRICT  ADHERENCE  TO 
THE  STANDARDS  IN  THE  EARLY  CHURCH.  —  CUMULATIVE  PROOF  OF  THIS. 
EARLY  SYMPATHY  WITH  CONGREGATIONALISTS.  —  CAUSES  OF  IT.  —  PLAN 
OF  UNION  FORMED.  —  ITS  LEADING  FEATURES.—  PRESBYTERIAN  OR  DEB 
UNDERMINED.—  THEOLOGICAL  SPECULATIONS  IN  NEW  ENGLAND.—  DIS 
SEMINATED  IN  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH.  —  SPECIFICATIONS  OF  DOC 
TRINAL  ERROR  —  SUBSTANCE  OF  DOCTRINE  DEFINED.  —  ORGANIZATION 
OF  NATIONAL  SOCIETIES.  —  CONFLICT  WITH  EACH  OF  THESE.  —  THE  RE 
SULTS.  —  ELECTIVE  AFFINITY  PRESBYTERIANS.  —  MR.  BARNES'  TRIAL.  — 
MEASURES  OF  REFORM.—  ACT  AND  TESTIMONY.  —  ASSEMBLY  OF  1837.  — 
PLAN  OF  UNION  ABOLISHED.  —  FINAL  DISRUPTION. 


pHE  current  of  the  narrative  has  borne  us  to  a  point  at 
-L  which  we  must  pause  and  retrace  our  course,  in  .order 
to  place  the  suhject  of  our  story  in  the  councils  of  the 
Church,  and  to  sketch  the  active  part  he  bore  in  the  reli 
gious  controversies  of  his  day.  No  part  of  his  public 
work  was  more  important  than  that  which  he  performed 
as  a  polemic;  and  no  man  in  the  Southern  Presbyterian 
Church  wielded  so  vast  and  so  acknowledged  an  influence, 
in  moulding  the  legislation  of  the  body  to  which  he  be 
longed.  He  was  introduced  into  the  ministry  just  as  the 
great  controversy  was  culminating  in  the  schism,  which 
rent  the  Presbyterian  Church  into  two  large  rival  com 
munions  ;  and  the  first  General  Assembly  in  which  he  sat 
as  a  member  was  that  of  1837,  famous  in  our  annals  as 
the  Assembly  in  which  the  Reform  measures  were  carried 
through,  which  precipitated  and  effected  the  rupture.  To 
many  readers  of  this  book  the  story  is  familiar  as  a  thrice- 
told  tale,  for  the  actors  in  those  stirring  scenes  have  not 
all  passed  away;  and  many  who  began  their  ministry 
shortly  after,  were  compelled  to  be  conversant  with  all  the 

181 


182         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

details  of  that  painful  struggle  to  maintain  the  ascen 
dency  of  truth.  But  after  the  lapse  of  more  than  a  gene 
ration,  there  must  be  large  numbers  to  whom  the  story  is 
known  only  in  its  general  results ;  whilst  readers  outside 
the  pale  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  into  whose  hands 
this  book  may  fall,  know  nothing  of  the  principles  that 
were  involved,  nor  of  the  agony  of  effort  by  which  they 
were  at  length  preserved. 

The  discussions,  in  which  Dr.  Thornwell  took  so  lively 
an  interest,  were  left  over  as  a  residuary  bequest  of  this 
fierce  controversy,  and  cannot  be  adequately  compre 
hended  without  some  acquaintance  with  that  out  of  which 
they  were  born.  It  seems  indispensable,  therefore,  to 
arrest  the  continuity  of  this  biography,  by  a  preliminary 
sketch  of  the  original  controversy,  and  of  the  schism  in 
which  it  terminated;  to  which,  accordingly,  the  present 
chapter  will  be  devoted. 

The  cardinal  issue,  in  the  whole  dispute,  was  that  of  a 
strict  or  a  lax  construction  of  the  acknowledged  standards; 
since  all  the  deviation  from  sound  doctrine  claimed  to  be 
salva  fide,  and  therefore  within  the  limits  of  the  Con 
fession  of  Faith;  and  the  authority  of  the  Form  of 
Government  was  held  not  to  be  infringed  in  the  practical 
administration  of  Church  affairs.  The  evidence,  however, 
is  cumulative,  that,  up  to  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century,  through  a  period  of  nearly  one  hundred  years,  no 
subscription  of  the  Westminster  Confession  was  tolerated 
which  did  not  accept  it  in  its  entirety.  The  ingenious 
artifice  of  receiving  it  only  for  "  substance  of  doctrine," 
was  the  invention  of  a  later  and  more  degenerate  age. 

The  first  proof  of  this  is  found  in  the  language  of  the 
Adopting  Act,  passed  in  1728-29  ;  showing  a  formal  and 
judicial  promulgation  of  these  Standards  to  be  necessary 
as  a  test  of  orthodoxy,  and  a  barrier  against  erroneous 
opinions  setting  in  from  various  quarters,  especially  from  ' 
England  and  the  north  of  Ireland.  The  pioneers,  who 
first  planted  Presbyterianism  upon  this  continent,  had  all 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.        183 

subscribed  these  Standards  at  the  time  of  their  ordination ; 
and  though  now  living  in  a  foreign  country,  they  natu 
rally  regarded  themselves  as  members  of  the  mother 
Church  at  home.  It  was  not  until  the  Church  of  their 
own  planting  had  expanded  into  fair  proportions,  that 
they  recognized  her  distinct  and  independent  existence. 
The  omission,  so  natural  at  first,  of  not  having  adopted, 
"  as  a  body  politic,  and  by  the  conjunct  act  of  their  own 
representatives,"  a  public  Confession,  was  corrected  just 
so  soon  as  the  necessity  became  apparent  that  doctrinal 
tests  were  needed  to  guard  against  the  influx  of  error. 

The  second  proof  is,  that,  after  the  agitation  produced 
by  this  proposed  measure  was  calmed,  and  the  opposing 
parties  came,  through  discussion,  to  fuller  acquaintance 
with  each  other's  views,  the  Westminster  Confession  was 
adopted  with  entire  unanimity,  after  excepting  certain 
clauses  in  the  twentieth  and  twenty-third  chapters,  which 
related  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  civil  magistrate  in  eccle 
siastical  matters ;  which  could  have  no  application  in  this 
country,  and  for  resistance  to  which  interference  these 
men  had  been  driven  as  martyrs  from  country  and  home. 
Now,  exclusio  unius  est  expressio  alterius :  t\\Q  exception 
.  of  these  specified  clauses  was  the  adoption  of  all  that  re 
mained;  so  that,  as  the  historian  remarks,  "as  these  clauses 
are  no  longer  in  the  Confession,  there  is  not  an  article  or 
expression  in  that  formula  to  which  these  men  did  not 
assent.  Such  was  the  latitudinarianism  of  those  days"  !  * 

If  doubt  can  linger  upon  any  mind  as  to  the  strictness 
of  this  subscription,  it  will  be  removed  by  a  subsequent 
declaration  of  the  same  body,  when,  in  1736,  they  explain 
certain  ambiguities  of  expression  in  the  original  instru 
ment,  which  had  alarmed  the  jealousy  of  some:  "The 
Synod  doth  declare  that  the  Synod  have  adopted,  and 
still  do  adhere  to,  the  Westminister  Confession,  Cate 
chisms,  and  Directory,  without  the  least  variation  or 
alteration,  and  without  any  regard  to  said  distinc- 

*Dr.  Hodge's  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  vol.  I,  p.  183. 


184         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

tions,"*  alluding  to  certain  expressions  in  the  Adopting  Act 
by  which  these  persons  were  stumbled.  Earlier  than  this 
in  1Y30,  the  Presbytery  of  New  Castle,  anticipating  this 
explanatory  act  of  the  Synod,  "solemnly  declared  and 
testified  that  they  own  and  acknowledge  the  Westminster 
Confession  and  Catechisms  to  be  the  confession  of  our 
faith,  being  in  all  things  agreeable  to  the  Word  of  God, 
so  far  as  we  are  able  to  judge  and  discern,  taking  them 
in  the  true,  genuine,  and  obvious  sense  of  the  words." 
The  Presbytery  of  Donegal  uses  similar  language,  in  the 
formula  of  subscription  which  they  drew  up  :  "  In  all 
things  agreeable  to  the  Word  of  God,  taking  them  in  the 
plain  and  obvious  meaning  of  the  words.''!  The  whole 
body  of  the  Church,  and  the  several  parts  thereof,  speak, 
therefore,  with  the  same  explicitness  on  this  point. 

A  third  link  in  this  chain  of  evidence  is,  the  enforcement 
of  the  same  strict  subscription  upon  all  intrants  into  the 
ministry,  in  the  following  Act,  passed  by  the  Synod  in 
1730  :  "  Whereas,  some  persons  have  been  dissatisfied  at 
the  manner  of  wording  our  last  year's  agreement  about 
the  Confession,  etc.,  supposing  some  expressions  not  suf 
ficiently  obligatory  upon  intrants,  the  Synod  do  now  de 
clare  that  they  understood  these  clauses,  that  respect  the 
admission  of  intrants  or  candidates,  in  such  a  sense  as  to 
oblige  them  to  receive  and  adopt  the  Confession  and 
Catechisms,  at  their  admission,  in  the  same  manner,  and 
as  fully,  as  the  members  of  the  Synod  did  that  were  then 
present. "|  To  render  this  act  operative,  inquisition  was 
made  each  year  of  the  Presbyteries,  as  to  their  compliance 
with  it ;  so  that  "  there  is  not  the  slightest  evidence  that 
any  of  the  Presbyteries  ever  admitted,  during  the  period 
under  review,  any  minister  who  dissented  from  any  of  the 
doctrinal  articles  of  the  Confession  of  Faith. "§  . 


*  Records  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  p.  125. 

t  Dr.  Hodge's  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  vol.  I,  pp.  190,  194. 

|  Records  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  p.  96. 

§  Dr.  Hodge's  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  vol.  I,  p.  197. 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTUOV  KKSY.  185 

Fourthly,  the  marked  contrast  in  the  terms  used  in 
adopting  the  Form  of  Government,  lixes  the  sense  in 
which  the  purely  doctrinal  symbols  were  received.  As 
to  the  former,  we  have  the  following  Deliverance  in  1729 : 
"  The  Synod  do  unanimously  acknowledge  and  declare, 
that  they  judge  the  Directory  for  Worship,  Discipline, 
and  Government  of  the  Church,  commonly  annexed  to 
the  Westminster  Confession,  to  be  agreeable  in  substance 
to  the  Word  of  God,  and  founded  thereupon;  and  there 
fore  do  earnestly  recommend  the  same  to  all  their  mem 
bers,  to  be  by  them  observed  as  near  as  circumstances 
will  allow,  and  Christian  prudence  direct."*  Fifty-seven 
years  later — that  is  to  say,  in  1786 — we  have  the  reason 
given  for  this  precise  language :  "  The  Synod  also  receives 
the  Directory  for  Public  Worship  and  the  Form  of 
Church  Government,  recommended  by  the  Westminster 
Assembly,  as  in  substance  agreeable  to  the  institutions  of 
the  New  Testament.  This  mode  of  adoption  we  use,  be 
cause  we  believe  the  general  platform  of  our  Government 
to  be  agreeable  to  the  Sacred  Scriptures;  but  we  do  not 
believe  that  God  has  been  pleased  so  to  reveal  and  enjoin 
every  minute  circumstance  of  ecclesiastic  government  and 
discipline,  as  not  to  leave  room  for  orthodox  churches  of 
Christ,  in  these  minutiae,  to  differ  with  charity  from  one 
another."!  Here,  then,  for  the  first  time  in  our  eccle 
siastical  annals, we  meet  with  the  relaxed  phrase,  "agree 
able  for  substance;"  which  a  later  period  sought  to  carry 
over  into  the  Confession  of  Faith,  but  which  is  employed 
by  these  fathers  expressly  to  discriminate  betwixt  the 
two.  In  regard  to  the  Confession,  the  subscription  is 
explicit  and  particular.  It  is  not  received  for  substance, 
but  in  all  its  articles,  with  a  single  specified  exception  ; 
whereas  a  latitude  is  allowed  in  the  adoption  of  the  Form 
of  Government,  it  being  comprehensively  embraced  only 
in  its  general  principles;  and  even  in  these  a  clear  dis- 

*  Records  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  p.  93.     f  Ibid.  p.  519. 


186  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

tinction  is  recognized  as  to  their  relative  importance,  when 
compared  with  the  doctrines  of  grace. 

The  fact  is,  the  principles  of  Presbyterian  Church 
government  have  never  been  as  articulately  wrought  out,, 
nor  as  fully  expounded,  as  the  doctrines  of  its  faith.  Un 
friendly  influences  have  warped  them  from  the  period  of 
the  Reformation,  giving  them  a  set  which-  it  has  been 
impossible,  even  to  the  present  day,  wholly  to  overcome. 
It  is  well  known  that  the  famous  Westminster  Assembly 
itself  was  not  exclusively  a  Presbyterian  council.  As  at 
first  constituted,  it  embraced  Episcopalians  and  Inde 
pendents  as  well ;  and  though  the  former  goon  withdrew, 
the  Independents  remained  through  its  entire  sessions — 
few  in  number,  perhaps,  but  powerful  in  influence.  Sound 
Calvinists  as  they  were,  they  harmonized  perfectly  with 
Presbyterians  in  the  statement  of  Christian  doctrine;  but 
differences  emerged  as  soon  as  the  Constitution  and  Polity 
of  the  Church  were  touched.  The  Form  of  Government 
bears  thus  upon  its  face  the  traces  of  a  compromise,  espe 
cially  in  the  exposition  of  the  Eldership.*  It  was  not 
such  an  instrument  as  strict  Presbyterians  would  have 
prepared,  as  a  full  statement  of  their  principles.  We 
signalize  this  difference  of  terms  in  the  adoption  of  the 
Form  of  Government,  as  showing  that  the  fathers  of  the 

'  O 

Church  in  this  country  were  not  so  rigid  in  their  views  of 
order  as  of  doctrine;  and  because,  as  we  shall  presently 
see,  it  was  precisely  through  this  breach  in  the  walls  the 
Trojan  horse,  with  its  belly  full  of  armed  Greeks,  was 
introduced  within  the  citadel  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
It  gives  the  key  to  the  Plan  of  Union  in  1801,  to  many 
of  the  questions  which  occasioned  the  disruption  in  1837, 

*  The  Westminster  Assembly,  after  a  triangular  conflict  between  the 
Presbyterians,  Independents,  and  Erastians,  did  affirm  the  Divine  Right 
of  Presbytery.  This,  however,  was  disallowed  by  the  Parliament ;  who 
softened  its  language  into  the  folio  wing  declaration  :  "  That  it  is  lawful, 
and  agreeable  to  the  Word  of  God,  that  the  Church  be  governed  by 
Congregational,  Classical,  and  Synodical  Assemblies."  See  Neal's  His 
tory  of  the  Puritans,  Part  3d,  Chap.  6. 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.  187 

and  to  all  the  discussions  in  which  the  subject  of  these 
Memoirs,  and  others  of  like  mind,  were  afterwards  en 
gaged. 

Fifthly,  if  there  had  been  a  disposition  to  abate  the 
authority  of  the  Confession,  it  would  most  naturally  have 
revealed  itself  during  the  memorable  schism,  in  1741,  be 
tween  what  was  then  designated  as  "the  Old  and  New 
Side."  But  so  far  from  this,  both  sections,  immediately 
upon  their  separation,  renewed  their  subscription  of  the 
Standards,  in  identical  terms  as  at  first;*  and  upon  their 
reunion,  in  1758,  the  first  article  in  the  basis  was  a  joint 
declaration  of  their  adherence  to  the  same.f  This  chain 
of  proof  runs  down  to  the  formation  of  the  General  As 
sembly  in  1788 ;  which,  having  purged  the  Confession  of 
the  objectionable  clauses  relative  to  the  civil  magistrate, 
declared  it  to  be  a  part  of  the  Constitution  of  the  Church. 
This  is  certainly  emphatic ;  for,  "  whoever  heard,"  says 
Dr.  Hodge,  "of  adopting  a  Constitution  for  substance? 
Is  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  thus  adopted  or 
interpreted  ?  It  is,  on  the  contrary,  the  supreme  law  of 
the  land ;  and  all  who  take  office  under  it  are  bound  to 
observe  it,  in  all  its  parts."}: 

Sixthly,  in  addition  to  this  documentary  evidence,  we 
have  also  the  testimony  of  contemporary  writers  to  the 
same  fact;  and  a  series  of  judicial  decisions,  extending 
from  1763  to  1810,  in  which  the  Confession  is  rigidly 
applied  in  the  repression  of  error.  A  simple  allusion  to 
this  is  sufficient;  as  the  cases  in  detail  may  be  found,  by 
those  who  desire  it,  in  the  records  of  those  times. 

This  summary — necessarily  imperfect,  because  so  con 
densed — establishes  the  historic  sense  in  which  these 
Standards  were  received  by  the  Church,  from  the  be 
ginning.  It  is  important,  as  justifying  the  measures  by 
which,  after  a  temporary  departure,  she  was  reformed 
back  to  her  original  orthodoxy;  and  because  the  attempt 

*  Records  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  pp.  l.r>7,  232.     +  Ibid.  p.  286. 
t  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  vol.  1,  p.  218. 


188  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOR^WELL. 

will  be  renewed  from  age  to  age  to  escape  from  the  obli 
gation  of  an  extended  creed,  by  an  ambiguous  subscription 
of  its  articles. 

In  an  evil  day  the  Presbyterian  Church  paused  in  the 
development  of  her  distinctive  principles,  and  formed  an 
alliance  with  New  England  Congregationalism  ;  which, 
in  a  third  of  one  century,  brought  her  to  the  brink  of  ruin. 
The  controversies  of  this  period  have  so  revealed  the  es 
sential  differences  of  the  two  systems,  that  we  now  look 
back  with  wonder  at  the  attempt  to  amalgamate  them. 
But  we  should  do  great  injustice  to  both  the  parties,  if 
we  fail  to  notice  the  influences  which  drew  them  to 
gether  in  relations  that  could  not  be  established  now.  The 
first  settlers  in  New  England  were  largely  Presbyterian 
in  sentiment;  carrying  with  them  their  symbols  of  faith, 
wTliich  were  used  for  household  instruction  almost  as  fa 
miliarly,  in  that  province,  as  in  the  districts  where  Pres- 
byterianism  gained  the  ascendency.  It  does  not  concern 
us  now  to  consider  the  causes  which  in  New  England  put 
the  Congregational  system  in  the  advance,  and  repressed 
the  development  of  pure  Presbyterianism.  It  is  sufficient 
to  notice  the  general  historical  fact,  that  two  systems, 
identical  in  doctrinal  belief,  and  separated  only  by  dif 
ferences  of  external  administration,  are  never  found  to 
prosper  equally  upon  the  same  soil.  The  one  almost  of 
necessity  absorbs  the  other;  because  the  distinction  ap 
pears  too  immaterial,  to  resist  the  tendency  to  union  in 
points  that  are  essential.  Thus  Presbytery  has  never 
been  able  to  push  its  way  in  New  England,  pre-occupied, 
as  it  is,  by  a  system  so  nearly  co-ordinate  with  it;  and  In 
dependency  has  never  struck  its  roots  into  the  soil  already 
covered  by  Presbytery.  The  process  of  absorption,  how 
ever,  rarely  leaves  either  system  unaffected  by  the  foreign 
ingredients  that  are  incorporated.  Thus  it  happened,  that 
the  early  Congregationalism  of  New  England  was  largely 
moulded  in  its  form  by  the  Presbyterian  influence  with 
which  it  was  knpregiiHted.  Especially  was  this  true  in 


OLD  AND  iVEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.  189 

Connecticut,  where,  at  the  close  of  the  Seventeenth  Cen 
tury,  the  Presbyterians  formed  nearly  half  of  the  entire 
population.  Thus,  the  Cambridge  Platform,  adopted  in 
1648,  acknowledged  the  Westminster  Confession  "  to  be 
very  holy,  orthodox,  and  judicious,  in  all  matters  of  faith ; 
and  we  do,  therefore,  full}7  and  freely,  consent  thereunto, 
for  the  substance  thereof;  only  in  those  tilings  which  have 
respect  to  Church  government  and  discipline,  we  refer 
ourselves  to  the  platform  of  Church  discipline  agreed 
upon  by  this  present  Assembly."*  It  is  astonishing  how 
nearly,  even  in  government,  this  platform  approximates 
the  two  systems/  It  recognizes  the  Eldership,  and  dis 
tinguishes  between  the  two  classes  of  those  who  teach 
and  those  who  only  rule.  It  demies  exactly  the  office  of 
the  deacon.  It  affirms  that  "Church  government,  or  rule, 
is  placed  by  Christ  in  the  officers  of  the  Church."  It 
recognizes  "Synods,  orderly  assembled,  according  to  the 
pattern,  Acts  xv.,  as  the  ordinance  of  Christ;'7  whose  de 
cisions  are  binding,  so  far  as  consonant  to  the  Word  of 
God,  not  only  because  of  that  agreement,  but  "  also  for 
the  power  whereby  they  are  made,  as  being  an  ordinance 
of  God."  In  like  manner,  the  Saybrook  Platform,  formed 
in  Connecticut,  in  1T08,  "provided  that  the  elders  of  a 
particular  church,  with  the  consent  of  the  brethren,  have 
power,  and  ought  to  exercise  discipline,  in  all  cases  within 
that  church.  The  churches  in  each  county  form  a  Con 
sociation.  The  council  of  this  body  consists  of  all  the 
teaching  and  ruling  elders  of  the  churches;  which  are 
also  at  liberty  to  delegate  lay  messengers,  who  are  enti 
tled  to  deliberate  and  vote  as  members;  provided,  how- 

*  See  the  original  authorities  quoted  in  Dr.  Samuel  J.  Baird's  History 
of  the  New  School,  p.  143.  We  take  this  opportunity  to  acknowledge 
our  indebtedness  to  this  work,  published  by  the  author  in  18G8,  for  the 
remaining  facts  in  this  chapter,  which  are  simply  condensed  from  its 
pages.  It  is  a  book  of  great  value,  from  the  skill  with  which  its  materials 
are  compiled,  and  from  the  documentary  evidence  with  which  its  state 
ments  are  substantiated.  It  brings  the  history  of  this  great  struggle 
within  narrow  compass,  and  is  perfectly  accessible  to  all. 


190  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

ever,  that  no  matter  shall  be  determined  without  a  ma 
jority  of  the  elders."* 

Still  later,  in  1799,  we  have  the  following  statement  from 
the  old  Hartford  North  Association,  as  to  the  constitution 
of  the  Connecticut  churches:  "This  Association  gives  in 
formation  to  all  whom  it  may  concern,  that  the  consti 
tution  of  the  churches  in  the  State  of  Connecticut,  founded 
on,  etc.,  is  not  Congregational,  but  contains  the  essentials 
of  the  government  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  or  Presby 
terian  Church  in  America,  particularly  as  it  gives  a 
decisive  power  to  Ecclesiastical  Councils;  and  a  Conso 
ciation,  consisting  of  ministers  and  messengers,  or  lay 
representatives  from  the  churches,  is  possessed  substan 
tially  of  the  same  authority  as  a  Presbytery.  The  judg 
ments,  decisions,  and  censures,  in  our  churches,  and  in 
the  Presbyterian,  are  mutually  deemed  valid.  The 
churches,  therefore,  in  Connecticut  at  large,  and  in  our 
district  in  particular,  are  not  now,  and  never  were,  from 
the  earliest  period  of  our  settlement,  ^Congregational 
churches,  according  to  the  ideas  and  forms  of  Church 
order  contained  in  the  book  of  discipline  called  the  Cam 
bridge  Platform.  There  are,  however,  scattered  over  the 
State,  perhaps  ten  or  twelve  churches  (unconsociated), 
who  are  properly  called  Congregational,  agreeably  to  the 
rules  of  Church  discipline  in  the  book  above  mentioned. 
Sometimes,  indeed,  the  associated  churches  of  Connecticut 
are  loosely  and  vaguely,  though  improperly,  termed  Con 
gregational.  While  our  churches,  in  the  State  at  large, 
are,  in  the  most  essential  and  important  respects,  the 
same  as  the  Presbyterian ;  still,  in  minute  and  unimportant 
points  of  Church  order  and  discipline,  both  we  and  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  America  acknowledge  a  differ 
ence.''! 

It  is  not  strange  that  the  Presbyterian  fathers — who, 
as  we  have  seen,  never  took  the  highest  ground  as  to  the 
Divine  authority  of  their  system — should  feel  a  cordial 
"Baird's  History  of  the  New  School,  pp.  145-'6.  t  Ibid.  pp.  146-7. 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.  191 

sympathy  with  Congregationalism  of  this  modified  type ; 
nor  that  the  pressure  of  mutual  interests  should  bring  the 
two  into  confidential  relations.  And  it  is  a  notable  fact, 
that  the  intercourse  always  began  witli  the  churches  of 
Connecticut,  the  most  predisposed  to  Presbyterian  views, 
and  afterwards  extended  to  those  of  the  other  eastern 
States.  As  early  as  1723,  hopes  were  entertained  of  union 
between  the  General  Synod  and  the  churches  of  Con 
necticut;  which,  however,  was  not  then  consummated. 
Again,  in  1766,  they  drew  together  in  prolonged  con 
ference,  in  joint  resistance  to  the  introduction  of  an 
American  Episcopate;  the  objection  being,  not  to  the 
office  itself,  but  to  the  authority  of  Parliament  in  ap 
pointing  it;  which,  it  was  feared,  would  draw  after  it  a 
Church  Establishment,  with  its  attendant  dangers,  of 
which  they  had  had  such  sensible  experience  in  Europe. 
The  correspondence  thus  begun  was  suspended  by  the 
American  Revolution,  and  was  not  resumed  till  1791. 
The  two  parties  each  appointed  delegates  to  attend  the 
sessions  of  the  other,  with  the  right  only  to  deliberate; 
which  right  was  enlarged,  in  1794,  so  as  to  include  the 
privilege  of  a  vote. 

The  way  was  thus  gradually  opened  for  what  is  known 
as  "the  Plan  of  Union,"  formed  in  1801  :  a  more  en 
larged  and  methodized  convention  between  the  two 
bodies,  which,  during  the  six  and  thirty  years  of  its  con 
tinuance,  brought  upon  the  Presbyterian  Church  an 
"  Illiad  of  woes."  History  does  not  afford  a  better  illus 
tration  of  the  evil  wrought  by  good  men,  whenever,  from 
motives  of  policy,  they  swerve  from  principle.  Their 
virtue  lends  a  sanction  to  their  schemes,  while  it  does  not 
estop  the  fatal  results.  This  agreement  was  not  only 
established  by  good  men,  but  it  originated  in  the  sweetest 
and  most  godly  intentions.  The  tide  of  population  setting 
in  from  the  Atlantic  coast  into  the  interior  of  the  country, 
bore  upon  its  bosom  a  mixed  material  for  the  formation 
of  churches.  In  the  western  portions  of  New  York,  and 


192         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

in  Ohio,  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists  found 
themselves  side  by  side,  both  being  too  weak  to  enforce 
the  Church  organization  which  each  preferred.  What 
more  Christian  object  could  be  proposed  than  to  facilitate 
a  union  between  these  discordant  elements  ?  Unfortu 
nately,  this  was  not  attempted  by  a  process  of  natural 
fusion,  each  giving  way  and  conforming  to  the  other  as 
circumstances  might  dictate;  but  by  an  artificial  conven 
tion,  making  a  composite  of  both.  This  Plan  of  Union, 
as  it  was  termed,  contained  the  following  provisions : 
That  Congregational  and  Presbyterian  churches  might 
select  their  pastor,  each  from  the  communion  of  the 
other,  the  church  in  each  case  conducting  its  discipline 
according  to  the  principles  of  the  body  to  which  it  be 
longed;  that  difficulties  arising  between  the  minister  and 
his  people  should  be  referred 'to  the  Presbytery,  or  to  the 
Association,  just  as  he  might  happen  to  be  a  Presbyterian 
or  Congregationalist ;  or,  if  both  parties  preferred,  to  a 
Council  equally  composed  of  both  sides;  that  if  the 
church  was  made  up  of  both  Presbyterians  and  Congre 
gationalists,  it  might  settle  a  minister  of  either  persuasion, 
in  which  case  the  government  should  be  in  the  hands  of 
a  Standing  Committee,  chosen  by  the  church,  from  whose 
decisions  an  appeal  might  be  taken  by  a  Presbyterian  to 
the  Presbytery,  or  by  a  Congregationalist  to  the  body  of 
the  communicants;  and  the  members  of  these  Standing 
Committees,  if  deputed,  should  have  the  same  right  to  sit 
and  act  in  Presbytery  as  ruling  elders  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church."* 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  point  out  the  anomalies  in 
this  hybrid  system,  which  was  really  less  conformed  to 
Presbyterianism  than  the  very  platforms  which  Congre 
gationalists  had  constructed  tor  their  own  government. 
Under  these,  indeed,  a  sufficient  diversity  had  been  ex 
hibited  in  churches  associated  and  churches  dissociated ; 
in  churches  governed  by  the  brotherhood,  governed  by 

*  Assembly's  Digest,  Ed.  185G,  p,  555. 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.         193 

elders,  and  governed  by  a  mixture  of  both ;  in  Con 
sociations  to  which  laymen  were  admitted,  and  Asso 
ciations  from  which  they  were  excluded :  but  under  this 
arrangement,  with  its  committee-men,  who  had  given  no 
pledge  of  adherence  to  any  symbols  of  faith,  admitted  to 
all  the  functions  of  the  eldership;  with  its  complex  ad 
justments  between  two  distinct  systems  of  discipline,  and 
with  the  constant  overlapping  of  the  two  jurisdictions  on 
either  side;  we  are  presented  with  a  conglomerate  the 
strangest  that  was  ever  conceived.  Churches,  Presby 
teries,  and  finally  Synods,  were  born  of  it;  which,  like 
Jacob's  cattle,  were  "  ringstreaked,  speckled,  and  grizzled" 
— a  motley  assemblage,  with  every  hue  and  colour  of  the 
ecclesiastical  prism.  The  new  districts,  in  which  the  pro 
visional  scheme  was  intended  to  operate,  soon  filled  up 
with  a  teeming  population.  Under  this  altered  condition 
of  things,  the  scheme  itself  should  have  been  superseded 
by  an  orderly  separation  of  the  two  elements;  which,  as 
distinct  communions,  might  have  lived  side  by  side  in 
friendly  relations.  It  was,  however,  continued  in  force, 
after  the  necessity  for  its  existence  had  ceased.  We 
condense  the  following  facts  to  illustrate  its  practical  oper 
ation  :  In  1808,  the  Middle  Association  was  received  into 
the  Synod  of  Albany,  with  its  twenty-one  churches,  all 
Congregational,  and  which  "retained  its  own  name  and 
usages  in  the  administration  of  government."  The  year 
after,  it  was  sub-divided  into  two  Presbyteries,  "both  of 
which,  in  written  constitutions,  planted  themselves  on  the 
Plan  of  Union,  and  were  Presbyterian  only  in  name."  In 
1812,  these,  with  -the  Presbytery  of  Geneva,  were  erected 
into  the  Synod  of  Geneva;  which  was  soon  enlarged  by 
the  addition  of  the  Congregational  Association  of  Onon- 
daira.  In  1821,  the  Synod  of  Genesee  was  erected  out  of 
four  Presbyteries  detached  from  the  Synod  of  Geneva; 
in  which,  also,  "the  Plan  of  Union  was  recognized  as  par 
amount  to  the  Constitution  of  the  Presbyterian  Church." 
In  1826,  the  Presbytery  of  Chenango  was  organized,  w^th 


194:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

five  ministers,  and  without  a  single  church;  but,  placing 
itself  upon  "the  Plan,"  drew  into  it  the  Union  Congre 
gational  Association.  In  1829,  the  Synod  of  Utica  was 
erected,  largely  composed  of  Congregational  material, 
having  swallowed  up  the  Oneida  Association,  besides  the 
accession  of  other  churches.  Thus,  within  the  space  of 
twenty-eight  years,  in  the  State  of  New  York  alone,  three 
Synods  were  constituted,  to  a  large  extent  of  elements  ab 
sorbed  from  Congregational  churches,  and  resting  upon 
the  Plan  of  Union  for  a  basis.  In  Ohio,  the  Synod  of 
Western  Reserve  was  formed,  in  1825,  in  precisely  the 
same  manner,  and  chiefly  of  the  same  materials.  It  was 
composed  of  the  Presbytery  of  Grand  River,  organized  in 
1814,  of  Portage,  in  1819,  and  of  Huron,  in  1824;  which, 
by  written  constitutions,  recognized  the  Plan  of  Union  as 
their  charter.*  Four  great  Synods  were  thus  created, 
which  never  assimilated  with  the  Presbyterian  body,  of 
which  they  professed  to  be  a  part.  This  brief  recapitu 
lation  will  enable  the  reader  better  to  understand  the 
character  of  the  Reform  measures  of  1837. 

This  gradual  undermining  of  Presbyterian  government 
was  of  itself  sufficient  to  condemn  this  wild  scheme  of 
comprehension;  but  it  was  far  from  being  its  worst  result. 
In  the  history  of  the  Church,  laxity  in  doctrine  is  always 
sure  to  accompany  contempt  of  discipline  and  order.  It 
is  notorious  that,  during  this  period,  New  England  was 
rife  with  dangerous  theological  speculations.  The  meta 
physical  writings  of  the  elder  Edwards  had  stimulated 
the  naturally  subtle  New  England  mind  to  very  bold  in 
vasions  of  the  orthodox  faith.  The  limits  of  this  digressive 
chapter  will  not  allow  a  detailed  statement  of  these  va 
rious  aberrations  from  the  sound  doctrine  of  earlier  times ; 
nor  of  the  swift  progress  from  the  ambiguities  of  the 
Hopkinsian  School,  to  the  scarcely  disguised  Pelagianism 
of  the  New  Haven  divines.  Indeed,  any  private  expo- 

*  These  statements  are  all  condensed  from  Dr.  Baird's  History  of  the 
New  School,  pp.  159  to  166. 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.        195 

sition  of  these  issues  would  be  open  to  the  suspicion  of 
prejudice,  unless  substantiated  by  large  quotations,  upon 
which  the  reader  might  rest  an  independent  judgment. 
We  prefer,  therefore,  to  leap  at  once  to  an  official  docu 
ment,  the  Testimony  and  Memorial  adopted  by  the  As 
sembly  of  1837,  in  which  there  is  a  specification  of  errors 
widely  disseminated  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  viz.: 

"  1.  That  God  would  have  prevented  the  existence  of  sin  in  our  world, 
but  was  not  able,  without  destroying  the  moral  agency  of  man  ;  or  that, 
for  aught  that  appears  in  the  Bible  to  the  contrary,  sin  is  incidental  to 
any  wise  moral  system. 

"  2.  That  election  to  eternal  life  is  founded  on  a  foresight  of  faith 
and  obedience. 

"  3.  That  we  have  no  more  to  do  with  the  first  sin  of  Adam  than  with 
the  sin  of  any  other  parent. 

"4.  That  infants  come  into  the  world  as  free  from  moral  defilement, 
as  was  Adam,  when  he  was  created. 

"5.  That  infants  sustain  the  same  relation  to  the  moral  government 
of  God,  in  this  world,  as  brute  animals ;  and  that  their  sufferings  and 
death  are  to  be  accounted  for  on  the  same  principles  as  those  of  brutes, 
and  not,  by  any  means,  to  be  considered  as  penal. 

"6.  That  there  is  no  other  original  sin  than  the  fact,  that  all  the  pos 
terity  of  Adam,  though  by  nature  innocent,  or  possessed  of  no  moral 
character,  will  always  begin  to  sin  when  they  begin  to  exercise  moral 
agency ;  that  original  sin  does  not  include  a  sinful  bias  of  the  human 
mind,  and  a  just  exposure  to  penal  suffering ;  and  that  there  is  no  evi 
dence  in  Scripture  that  infants,  in  order  to  salvation,  do  need  redemp 
tion  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  regeneration  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"  7.  That  the  doctrine  of  imputation,  whether  of  the  guilt  of  Adam's 
sin,  or  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  has  no  foundation  in  the  Word  of 
God,  and  is  both  unjust  and  absurd. 

"8.  That  the  sufferings  and  death  of  Christ  were  not  truly  vicarious 
and  penal,  but  symbolical,  governmental,  and  instructive  only. 

"9.  That  the  impenitent  sinner  is,  by  nature,  and  independently  of 
the  renewing  influence  or  almighty  energy  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  full 
possession  of  all  the  ability  necessary  to  a  full  compliance  with  all  the 
commands  of  God. 

"10.  That  Christ  does  not  intercede  for  the  elect  until  after  regeneration. 

"11.  That  saving  faith  is  not  an  effect  of  the  special  operation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  but  a  mere  rational  belief  of  the  truth,  or  assent  to  the 
Word  of  God. 

"  12.  That  regeneration  is  the  act  of  the  sinner  himself,  and  that  it 
consists  in  a  change  of  his  governing  purpose,  which  he  himself  must 
produce,  and  which  is  the  result,  not  of  any  direct  influence  of  the 


196  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

Holy  Spirit  on  the  heart,  but  chiefly  of  a  persuasive  exhibition  of  the 
truth,  analogous  to  the  influence  which  one  man  exerts  over  the  mind  of 
another ;  or  that  regeneration  is  not  an  instantaneous  act,  but  a  pro 
gressive  work. 

"  13.  That  God  has  done  all  that  He  can  do  for  the  salvation  of  all 
men.  and  that  man  himself  must  do  the  rest. 

"  14.  That  God  cannot  exert  such  influence  on  the  minds  of  men, 
as  shall  make  it  certain  that  they  will  choose  and  act  in  a  particular 
manner,  without  impairing  their  moral  agency. 

"15.  That  the  righteousness  of  Christ  is  not  the  sole  ground  of  the 
sinner's  acceptance  with  God  ;  and  that  in  no  sense  does  the  righteous 
ness  of  Christ  become  ours. 

"  16.  That  the  reason  why  some  differ  from  others  in  regard  to  their 
reception  of  the  Gospel,  is  that  they  make  themselves  to  differ."* 

The  close  affiliation  with  Congregationalists,  under  the 
Plan  of  Union,  opened  wide  the  door  to  the  influx  of 
these  errors ;  and  they  were  especially  prevalent  in  those 
districts  which  this  Plan  covered  with  its  influence.  Yet 
the  men  who,  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  embraced  and 
taught  these  views,  had  subscribed  the  Confession  of 
Faith,  from  which  they  deviated  so  widely.  This  course 
was  reconciled  with  honesty  only  on  the  plea,  that  no 
subscription  to  any  extended  creed  could  be  exacted,  con 
sistently  with  freedom  of  thought  and  the  right  of  con 
science,  except  it  be  restricted  to  the  general  system 
inculcated,  and  for  " substance  of  doctrine"  merely.  This 
elastic  and  slippery  phrase  is  scarcely  susceptible  of  defl- 

*  Assembly's  Digest,  Edition  of  1856,  pp.  728-9.  A  protest  against 
this  paper,  signed  by  fifteen  members  of  the  Assembly,  disclaiming 
these  errors,  and  giving  their  exposition  of  the  points  involved,  was 
presented  and  admitted  to  record.  (See  Assembly's  Digest,  Edition  of 
1856,  pp.  730-'5.)  This  exposition,  even  if  satisfactory,  could  do  no 
thing  more  than  purge  the  individual  signers  of  suspicion  in  the  premi 
ses.  It  did  not  touch  the  design  of  the  paper  itself  ;  which  was  to  tes 
tify  against  errors  widely  diffused,  and  to  show  the  necessity  of  a  strict 
subscription  of  the  standards,  in  order  to  protect  the  Church  from 
being  infected  with  the  same.  The  Assembly  made  an  unusual  disposi 
tion  of  this  protest,  in  sending  it  down  to  the  Presbyteries  of  the  sign 
ers,  "calling  attention  to  the  developments  of  theological  views  con 
tained  in  it,"  and  ordering  an  "  inquiry  into  the  soundness  of  the  faith 
of  those  who  have  ventured  to  make  so  strange  avowals  as  some  of  these 
are."  Digest,  p.  735. 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.  197 

nition  or  limitation.  By  far  the  most  exact  expression  of 
its  meaning,  is  that  put  forth  by  the  New  Haven  Profes 
sors,  in  the  attempt  to  reconcile  their  speculations  with 
the  pledges  they  had  given  when  inducted  into  office.  It 
is  worthy  of  being  preserved,  as  the  nearest  to  a  suc 
cessful  effort  to  imprison  in  words  what  is  inconstant  and 
shifting  as  caprice  itself.  It  is  in  these  terms : 

"  It  will  be  generally  agreed,  that  the  cardinal  doctrines  of  the  Refor 
mation  were  the  following :  The  entire  depravity  and  ruin  of  man  by 
nature,  as  the  result  of  tiie  sin  of  Adam  ;  justification  by  faith,  through 
the  atonement  of  Christ,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  merit  in  the  recipient ; 
the  necessity  of  regeneration,  by  the  special  or  distinguishing  influences 
of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  the  eternal  and  personal  election  of  a  part  of  our 
race  to  holiness  and  salvation  ;  the  final  perseverance  of  all  who  are 
thus  chosen  unto  eternal  life.  These,  taken  in  connexion  with  the  doc 
trine  of  the  Trinity,  of  the  eternal  punishment  of  the  finally  iinpeni- 
tent,  and  of  the  divine  decrees,  -which  is  partly  involved  in  that  of  elec 
tion,  constitute  what  may  be  called  the  Primary  Doctrines  of  the  Ref  or- 
tion.  In  addition  to  these,  we  find,  in  the  writings  of  some  of  the 
Reformers  and  of  the  Puritan  divines,  another  class  of  statements, 
whose  object  was  to  reconcile  the  doctrines  above  enumerated  with  the 
principles  of  right  reason,  and  to  reduce  them  to  a  harmonious  system 
of  faith.  These  may  be  called  the  Secondary  or  Explanatory  Doctrines. 
As  examples  of  these,  we  may  mention,  the  imputation  of  Adam's  sin 
to  all  his  descendants,  in  such  a  sense  as  to  make  them  guilty,  and  pun 
ished,  in  the  operation  of  strict  justice,  on  account  of  his  act ;  the  im 
putation  of  Christ's  righteousness  to  the  believer,  as  the  ground  of  his 
participating,  on  the  same  principle  of  strict  justice,  in  the  benefits  of 
His  death  ;  the  doctrine  of  particular  redemption,-  or  the  limitation  of 
the  atonement  to  the  elect ;  the  doctrine  of  man's  entire  want  of  power, 
to  any  but  sinful  actions,  as  accounting  for  his  dependence  on  God  for 
a  change  of  heart,  etc. 

"  Many  of  the  old  divines  attached  high  importance  to  this  latter  class 
of  doctrines,  though  differently  stated  by  different  writers  ;  but  they  did 
so  only  because  they  considered  them  essential  to  a  defence  of  the  pri 
mary  doctrines  enumerated  above  In  the  progress  of  mental  and  moral 
science,  however,  a  great  change  of  sentiment  has  taken  place  in  this 
respect.  One  after  another  of  these  secondary  or  explanatory  doctrines 
has  been  laid  aside.  Other  modes  have  been  adopted  of  harmonizing 
the  orthodox  system  of  faith,  and  reconciling  it  to  the  principles  of 
right  reason,  more  conformable,  it'  is  believed,  to  the  simplicity  of  the 
gospel ;  without  diminishing,  but  rather  increasing,  the  attachment  felt 
for  the  primary  doctrines  of  the  Reformation."* 

*Dr.  Baird>  History  of  the  New  School,  pp.  209,  210. 


198  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOBNWELL. 

To  receive  a  creed,  then,  "for  substance  of  doctrine," 
means  simply  to  get  all  the  substance  out  of  the  doctrine, 
and  to  hold  the  shell,  which  is  harmless  from  its  empti 
ness.  "No  one  acquainted  with  'the  Calvinistic  system 
would  care  to  contend  long  for  the  primary  doctrines, 
after  the  secondary  were  all  of -them  eliminated;  and  the 
Confession  of  Faith  may  innocently  be  subscribed,  when 
it  has  been  eviscerated  of  all  that  renders  its  testimony  of 
any  value.  Such  is  a  brief  account  of  the  doctrinal  issues 
that  were  involved  in  the  schism  of  183T-'8. 

There  is  another  branch  of  the  controversy,  which  con 
tributed  an  almost  equal  share  in  effecting  the  breach: 
it  was  the  question  whether  the  Church  should  do  her 
own  evangelistic  work,  or  remit  it  to  irresponsible  agen 
cies  outside  of  her  pale.  In  her  early  history,  the  duty 
was  plainly  recognized  of  doing,  in  her  organic  form,  the 
work  for  which  she  was  instituted.  Itinerant  missionaries 
were  sent  out  to  explore  the  waste  places;  and  settled 
pastors  were  detached,  for  weeks  and  months,  from  their 
respective  charges,  to  supply  the  destitute  with  the  gospel. 
The  Church  courts  were  occupied,  at  every  session,  in 
devising  means  to  spread  the  knowledge  of  Christianity 
into  "the  regions  beyond."  The  work  of  training  min 
isters  was  undertaken  at  the  very  outset;  and  in  1771, 
the  General  Synod,  before  the  organization  of  the  Assem 
bly,  entered  upon  a  systematic  plan  for  the  support  and 
education  of  her  candidates.  As  early  as  1751,  a  collec 
tion  was  ordered  to  be  taken  each  year,  in  every  church, 
to  propagate  the  gospel  among  the  heathen;  and  upon 
this  fund  Mr.  Brainard  was  sustained  among  the  Indians, 
until  his  death,  in  1781.  In  1802,  the  Synod  of  Pitts 
burgh  resolved  itself  into  a  missionary  society,  with  a  regu 
lar  constitution  and  officers.  In  the  same  year,  the  Synod 
of  the  Carolinas  sent  two  missionaries  to  the  batches 
Indians,  and  one  to  the  Catawbas ;  conducting  the  work 
through  a  commission,  regularly  appointed.  At  the  same 
period,  1802,  the  General  Assembly  appointed  a  Standing 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.        199 

Committee  of  Missions,  whose  powers  were  gradually  in 
creased,  until,  at  length,  in  1816,  it  was  erected  into  a 
Board.*  Had  the  Church  been  allowed  to  pursue  tier 
course  untrammelled,  with  her  own  expansion  there  would 
have  been  a  corresponding  enlargement  of  her  efforts; 
and  her  history  would  have  been,  what  the  history  of  the 
Church  ought  ever  to  be,  that  <3f  a  great  evangelistic  so 
ciety.  But  the  fatal  complication  with  Congregationalism, 
which  so  nearly  corrupted  her  faith,  almost  brought  her  in 
bondage  to  the  great  national  societies,  which  boldly  at 
tempted  to  usurp  her  functions. 

Independency,  from  the  incompleteness  of  its  organi 
zation,  is  compelled  to  work  through  agencies  outside  of 
itself.  Hence  originated,  in  New  England,  three  large 
corporations,  known  as  the  American  Education  and  the 
American  Home  Mission  Societies,  and  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions.  The  pre 
fix,  American,  to  each  of  these,  sufficiently  indicates  the 
ambition  of  their  aim.  It  was  nothing  less  than  to  be 
come,  to  the  largest  possible  extent,  national  in  their 
scope;  by  uniting  the  Congregationalists,  the  Presby 
terians,  the  Dutch  Reformed,  and  the  Associate  Re 
formed,  in  one  phalanx,  to  carry  out  these  several  enter 
prises  conjointly.  Of  course,  this  involved,  on  the  part 
of  the  three  last  named,  the  abdication  of  their  trust  as 
distinct  and  separate  churches,  who  must  all  become  tri 
butary  to  the  first,  as  auxiliaries  to  the  only  agency  which 
they  could  possibly  construct.  It  was  a  splendid  scheme 
of  unification,  similar  to  that  which  is  dazzling  the  minds 
of  so  many  at  this  day;  and  perhaps  the  careful  reader 
will  be  struck  with  the  parallel,  in  more  than  one  par 
ticular,  between  the  history  of  the  Church  in  the  first  and 
last  third  of  the  present  century.  It  is  necessary  to  trace 
the  conflict  with  each  of  these  three  associations. 

The  American   Education   Society   was  organized    in 
1815,  in  the  city  of  Boston,  "with  admirable  skill  for 

*  For  these  facts,  see  Baird's  History,  pp.  271-282. 


200  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

acquiring  complete  control  over  ministerial  education 
throughout  the  country."  With  its  close  corporation, 
and  independence  of  all  supervision;  with  its  large 
receipts,  and  honorary  memberships  purchased  with 
money;  and  with  its  branch- societies  distributed  over  the 
country;  it  was  armed  with  power  to  beat  down  any 
feeble  competitors  that  might  enter  the  field.  But  the 
instinct  of  danger,  which  never  wholly  deserts  a  living 
Church,  took  in  at  once  the  fatal  consequences  of  yielding 
to  the  supremacy  of  so  ambitious  an  agency.  In  1818, 
measures  were  concerted  which  resulted  in  the  organi 
zation  of  a  Presbyterian  Education  Society,  in  Phila 
delphia,  "which  should  be  under  the  inspection  of  the 
General  Assembly,  and  a  faithful  representative  of  the 
whole  denomination."  But  the  Church  could  not  be  a 
unit.  The  foreign  influences,  which  had  been  imported 
into  the  body,  set  themselves  at  once  to  counteract  the 
policy  thus  indicated.  A  rival  organization  was  instantly 
created,  under  a  similar  name,  which  refused  to  acknow 
ledge  Assembly  control,  and  soon  went  over  bodily  to  the 
American  Education  Society,  and  became  its  active  in 
strument  in  promoting -its  ascendency  within  the  entire 
limits  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Meanwhile,  the  Church 
Board  languished  for  years,  by  reason  of  this  opposition, 
its  own  restricted  powers,  and  general  inefficiency  in  its 
management,  until,  in  1831,  it  was  re-organized  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Rev.  John  Breckinridge,  D.  D.,  as  its 
Secretary;  when  it  sprung  into  vigour,  anji  held  its  own 
against  all  rivalry,  until  the  hour  of  complete  deliverance 
from  all  this  thraldom  was  chimed  in  1837.*  So  far,  then, 
the  Church,  though  crippled  and  harassed,  has  refused  to 
subordinate  herself  to  a  foreign  power. 

The  triumph,  however,  of  the  American  Board  of  Com 
missioners  for  Foreign  Missions  was  complete.    We  have 
sketched  the  early  efforts  of  Presbyterians  to  extend  the 
gospel  among  the  heathen.     Besides  the  organization  of 
*  Dr.  Baird's  History,  pp.  283-292, 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.         201 

the  Synods  of  Pittsburgh  and  of  the  Carolinas  to  that 
end,  various  local  societies  had  sprung  up,  all  subject  to 
the  Church.  But,  in  1817,  this  great  subject  was  brought 
before  the  Assembly ;  and  the  result  was  the  organization 
of  "the  United  Foreign  Missionary  Society,"  so  called 
because  it  was  composed  of  members  of  the  Presbyterian, 
Reformed  Dutch,  and  Associate  Reformed  Churches,  and 
received  the  sanction  of  these  bodies  respectively.  It  was, 
however,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  a  voluntary  society, 
and  in  its  management  independent  of  ecclesiastical  con 
trol.  It  prosecuted  its  work  with  vigour,  gradually  ab 
sorbing  the  different  local  societies,  and  was  able,  within 
eight  years  from  its  establishment,  to  make  a  favourable 
comparative  exhibit  of  its  success  with  that  of  the  Amer 
ican,  or  Congregational,  Board,  during  its  first  eight  years. 
In  1824,  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh  transferred  tUeir  mis 
sions  to  its  care,  under  the  impression  that  it  was,  and 
would  remain,  distinctly  Presbyterian  in  its  character.  At 
the  very  moment,  however,  of  this  transfer,  negotiations 
were  pending  with  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.,*  by  which  it  was 
soon  absorbed.  The  only  remaining  missions  of  the  Pres 
byterian  Church  were  those  conducted  by  the  Synod  of 
the  Carolinas,  dating  back  to  1802.  In  1818,  these  were 
in  turn  transferred  by  treaty  to  the  American  Board, 
which  was  thus  sole  master  of  the  field. 

This  termination  filled  many  with  profound  grief,  and 
measures  were  soon  concerted  for  rallying  the  Church  to 
her  appointed  work.  The  proposal  was  to  organize  an 
Assembly  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  which  should  not 
be  antagonistic,  but  co-operative  with  -the  American 
Board.  The  lamented  Dr.  John  H.  Rice  penned,  from 
his  death-bed,  the  overture  to  the  General  Assembly  of 
18-31,  which  appointed  a  committee  of  conference  on  the 
subject;  but,  "to  the  proposition  for  a  co-ordinate  Board, 
the  reply  was,  without  alternative,  the  American  Board, 

*  The  abbreviated  title  of  the  '  'American  Board  of  Commissioners  for 

Foreign  Missions." 


202  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

and  that  only."  Renewed  defeat  served  but  to  arouse  the 
Church  the  more.  The  next  measure  was  to  revive  "  the 
Western  Foreign  Missionary  Society,"  at  Pittsburgh,, 
which  had  been  sold  out  in  1824.  It  was  accordingly 
organized,  and  presented  itself  for  recognition  before  the 
Assembly  of  1832,  with  its  first  missionaries  chosen,  and 
Africa  as  its  field  of  operations.  It  was  so  prospered  in 
its  work,  that,  within  three  years,  it  represented  twenty 
missionaries  under  its  care,  labouring  in  western  Africa, 
northern  India,  and  among  several  Indian  tribes  at  homo. 
In  the  Assembly  of  1835,  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
confer  with  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh,  relative  to  the 
transfer  of  this  Society  to  the  General  Assembly.  In  the 
following  year,  however,  the  Assembly,  under  the  foreign 
influences  which  controlled  it,  receded  from  the  proposals 
of  its  predecessor,  and  the  Western  Society  was  rejected 
as  a  recognized  institution  for  the  whole  Church.*  The 
consternation  and  alarm  created  by  this  decision  contri 
buted  not  a  little  to  the  revolution  which,  one  year  later,, 
swept  Moderatism,  as  it  did  heresy,  out  of  the  bosom  of 
the  Church. 

The  great  battle,  however,  for  the  liberties  of  the 
Church,  was  fought  upon  the  Home  Mission  field;  where, 
by  God's  grace,  a  full  victory  was  achieved.  We  have 
seen  the  Assembly  Committee  of  1802  expanding,  in 
1816,  into  a  Board,  with  enlarged  powers.  Its  efficiency 
was  nevertheless  crippled  by  the  opposition  of  the  "lib- 

*Dr.  Baird's  History,  pp.  298-308,  447-461,  490-49(5.  The  line  of 
argument  pursued,  in  the  Assembly  of  1836,  against  the  Church's  en 
gaging  in  the  work  of  Foreign  Missions,  illustrates  the  nature  of  the 
struggle,  and  fills  the  reader  with  equal  astonishment  and  sorrow.  It 
was  denied  that  the  Assembly  had  any  authority  to  undertake  this  work  ;. 
that  it  had  received  no  authorization  from  the  Presbyteries  ;  that  the 
command  to  evangelize  the  world  was  given  to  the  Church  universal, 
which  is  an  unorganized  body  ;  that  the  Assembly  cannot  delegate  the 
power  of  creating  missions  to  any  Board  ;  that,  if  it  does,  this  is  to  per 
petuate  itself  after  its  own  dissolution  ;  that  the  gospel  is  not  sectarian, 
and  should  not  be  so  exhibited  to  the  heathen,  etc.  See  Baird's  History, 
p.  495. 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.         203 

eral"  party  in  the  Church;  who  set  to  work  organizing 
local  societies,  in  which  some  indulgence  would  be  ex 
tended  to  theological -aberrations.  These  were,  in  1822, 
consolidated  into  what  was  termed  "  The  United  Domestic 
Missionary  Society;"  which,  in  1826,  resolved  itself  into 
"The  American  Home  Missionary  Society,"  "planned  in 
a  meeting  of  delegates  from  the  New  England  churches," 
held  in  Boston  early  in  the  same  year."  Dr.  Absalom 
Peters,  the  determined  head  of  this  institution,  addressed 
himself  to  the  task,  which  he  unflinchingly  pursued,  of 
absorbing  the  Assembly  Board,  or  at  least  of  making  it 
wholly  tributary.  He  accordingly,  in  1828,  communicated 
his  views  to  the  General  Assembly.  The  result,  however, 
was  the  adopting,  by  that  body,  of  a  paper  recognizing 
prerogatives  in  its  own  agent  that  had  never  been  con 
ferred  before.  A  correspondence  was  then  begun  between 
the  two  Boards,  in  which  an  elaborate  argument  was  at 
tempted  to  show  that  they  could  not  co-exist  in  harmony, 
if  independent.  Dr.  Peters  next  visited  Philadelphia,  and 
succeeded  in  gaming  over  to  his  views  Dr.  Ely,  the  Sec 
retary  of  the  Assembly  Board.  The  two  laboured  to 
gether  for  the  amalgamation  of  the  agencies  which  they 
represented,  upon  the  basis  that  fifty  directors  should  be 
chosen  from  the  different  bodies  that  should  embark  in 
the  scheme,  distributed  to  each  in  proportion  to  the  num- 
•ber  of  ministers  upon  its  roll.  This  bold  proposition  wa& 
promptly  rejected  by  the  Assembly  Board,  on  the  ground 
that  it  had  no  authority  to  entertain  it,  and  also  from  a 
deep  conviction  that  "the  interests  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  the  sacred  cause  of  missions,  require  that  the 
character  and  powers  of  the  Board  should  remain  as  they 
are."  In  consequence  of  this  resistance,  the  matter  wa& 
not  brought  before  the  Assembly  at  all,  and  a  new  system 
of  tactics  was  compelled.  This  was  to  plant  a  branch  of 
the  American  Society  in  the  West,  at  Cincinnati,  and  to 
invite  the  Assembly  to  transact  its  operations  in  the  West 
through  this  branch,  as  a  common  agency.  This  project, 


204-  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

however,  failed  to  secure  the  approval  of  the  Assembly. 
The  design  evidently  was,  either  to  drive  the  Presby 
terian  Church  out  of  the  West,  as  -a  field  of  operations, 
or  so  to  control  her  movements  that  they  should  be 
wholly  subordinate  to  the  interests  of  Congregationalism. 

In  the  Assembly  of  1831,  a  long  discussion  ensued 
upon  certain  overtures  relating  to  missions  in  the  West; 
which  resulted  in  a  recommendation  to  all  the  Western 
Synods  to  correspond  with  each  other,  and  to  agree  upon 
some  plan  which  should  be  satisfactory  to  themselves,  and 
report  the  same  to  the  next  Assembly.  In  pursuance  of 
this  advice,  a  general  Convention  of  these  Synods  was 
held,  in  November  of  that  year,  at  Cincinnati.  After  a 
week's  session,  in  which  various  measures  were  discussed, 
the  question  at  issue  was  definitely  settled,  in  the  following 
resolution,  to  the  entire  and  final  defeat  of  all  the  schemes 
of  the  American  Society:  "Resolved,  that,  under  these 
circumstances,  they  deem  it  inexpedient  to  propose  any 
change  in  the  General  Assembly's  mode  of  conducting 
missions,  as  they  fully  approve  of  that  now  in  such  suc 
cessful  operation;  and  that  the  purity,  peace,  and  pros 
perity  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  materially  depend  on 
the  active  and  efficient  aid  the  Sessions  and  Presbyteries 
under  its  care  may  afford  to  the  Assembly's  Board."* 

The  vigour  of  the  assault  upon  this  particular  arm  of 
the  Church  will  be  understood  at  a  glance.  It  was  the. 
precise  spot  in  which  a  breach  was  to  be  effected  in  the 
Presbyteriaji  Church,  and  the  defences  here  were  to 'be 
carried  by  storm.  With  the  American  Education  Society 
to  train  a  ministry  in  the  lax  theology,  and  with  the 
American  Home  Missionary  Society  to  distribute  and 
support  them  in  their  field  of  labour,  it  was  simply  a 
question  of  time  to  trample  the  Confession  of  Faith  in  the 
dust,  to  lay  prostrate  the  whole  constitution  and  order  of 
the  Church,  and  to  render  the  entire  Presbyterian  Church 
the  bound  vassal  under  New  England  theology  and  New 

*  Dr.  Baird's  History,  pp.  310-320,  37G-386. 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.  205 

England  control.  The  instinct  of  life  alone  preserved  her 
from  surrendering,  just  where  defeat  would  have  been 
fatal. 

Such  were  the  issues,  both  in  doctrine  and  polity,  by 
which  the  Presbyterian  Church  was  agitated;  widening 
with  the  discussion  of  every  passing  year,  and  finding  no 
solution  but  in  open  disruption.  The  doctrinal  contro 
versy  was  brought  to  a  head,  in  the  trial  of  Rev.  Albert 
Barnes;  which  was  accepted  on  both  sides  as  a  test  case, 
and  to  which,  therefore,  an  extraordinary  interest  was  at 
tached.  Certain  views  announced  by  him  as  early  as 
1828,  in  a  sermon,  entitled,  "The  Way  of  Salvation,"  led 
to  resistance,  in  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia,  to  his 
settlement  as  a  pastor  within  its  bounds.  The  case  went 
up  through  the  Synod,  and  came,  by  reference,  before  the 
Assembly  of  1831.  It  was  disposed  of  by  a  minute,  cen 
suring  the  sermon  of  Mr.  Barnes  as  "containing  a  num 
ber  of  unguarded  and  objectionable  passages;"  but  ac 
cepting  his  own  explanation  of  the  same,  and  deciding 
that  the  Presbytery  ought  to  suspend  all  further  proceed 
ings.  Thus  ended  Mr.  Barnes's  first  trial.  In  1835, 
however,  he  was  a  second  time  prosecuted,  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  George  Junkin,  upon  charges  based  upon  alleged 
errors  in  his  "  Commentary  on  Romans,"  recently  issued 
from  the  press.  By  reason  of  various  delays,  it  did  not 
reach  the  Assembly  till  1836,  when  Mr.  Barnes  appealed 
from  the  condemnatory  sentence  of  the  Synod,  and  was 
sustained  in  it  by  the  decision  of  the  Assembly.  This 
decision,  in  a  confessedly  test  case,  was  regarded  as  fixing 
the  doctrinal  complexion  of  the  Church,  and  determined 
the  orthodox  upon  vigorous  measures  of  reform. 

The  utter  disregard  of  constitutional  principles  which 
now  exhibited  itself  in  the  highest  court  of  the  Church, 
led  to  another  flagrant  outrage;  which  was  the  creation 
of  what  was  appropriately  designated  an  "Elective  Afiin 
ity  Presbytery,"  in  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  and  against 
its  remonstrances;  which  consisted  of  certain  enumerated 


206  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOR17WELL. 

ministers  and  -churches  thrown  together  because  of  their 
doctrinal  sympathies,  and  irrespective  of  geographical 
boundaries.  Still  worse,  in  order  to  place  this  Presbytery 
beyond  the  reach  of  Synodical  .action,  it  was  erected, 
with  two  others  of  like  sentiments,  into  the  Synod  of  Del 
aware.  Thus  was  not  only  a  secure  asylum  provided  for 
those  who  were  unsound  in  the  faith,  but  a  fit  instrument 
was  created  for  licensing  candidates  who  would  elsewhere 
be  rejected,  and  sending  them  forth  with  clean  papers  to 
demand  admission  into  every  other  Presbytery  in  the  land. 
Clearly,  it  was  high  time  to  act,  for  each  year  saw  the 
sound  and  evangelical  portion  of  the  Church  drifting 
under  the  power  of  a  majority  becoming  larger  and  lar 
ger  by  means  the  most  unscrupulous. 

The  nature  of  the  steps  necessary  to  recover  the  Church 
from  her  deep  declension  had  been  foreshadowed  as  early 
as  1831,  in  an'  overture  from  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh,  to 
the  effect  "that  every  Church  Session  and  Presbytery  be 
required  to  keep  a  book,  in  which  the  following  formula 
shall  be  recorded,  viz. :  I,  A.  B.,  do  sincerely  receive  and 
adopt  the  Confession  of  Faith  and  Catechisms  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  according  to  the  plain  and  obvious 
meaning  of  the  words  in  which  they  are  expressed,"  etc;.; 
and  "that  any  Synod,  Presbytery,  minister,  or  elder,  re 
fusing  to  comply  with  the  above  conditions,  shall  be  con 
sidered  as  renouncing  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  consequently  no  longer  to  be  considered  in 
connexion  with  that  body."  In  July,  1833,  a  conference 
was  held  of  certain  gentlemen  in  Ohio,  which  addressed 
to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  following  year,  what  is 
known  as  "The  Western  Memorial,"  testifying  against 
nine  specified  doctrinal  errors,  and  urging  the  repeal  of 
the  Plan  of  Union,  and  of  any  special  arrangement  with 
the  Congregational  churches.  During  the  session  of  the 
Assembly,  in  1834,  a  conference  was  held,  at  which  the 
famous  "Act  and  Testimony"  was  drawn  up,  of  which 
the  Eev.  Dr.  K.  J.  Breckinridge  was  the  author,  who,  as 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.  207 

an  elder  from  Kentucky,  had  three  years  before  signalized 
himself  as  a  champion  of  sound  doctrine  and  constitu 
tional  order.  This  paper,  after  the  enumeration  of  doc 
trinal  errors,  and  suggesting  measures  for  their  repression, 
closed  with  the  recommendation  of  a  convention,  to  be 
held  the  next  year,  to  "deliberate  and  consult  on  the 
present  state  of  the  Church,  and  to  adopt  such  measures 
as  may  be  best  suited  to  restore  her  prostrated  standards." 
At  this  convention  a  careful  memorial  was  prepared,  iden 
tical  with  the  "Act  and  Testimony,"  which  received  a 
measure  of  consideration  from  the  Assembly,  and  raised, 
in  some,  the  hope  of  ultimate  reform.  It  was  a  hope  ex 
cited  only  to  be  blasted.  The  Assembly  of  1836  was  the 
most  radical  of  all  that  had  preceded;  and,  as  we  have 
seen,  the  acquittal  of  Mr.  Barnes  dashed  the  expectations 
of  the  most  sanguine  to  the  ground.  In  1837,  for  the 
first  time. in  several  consecutive  years,  the  orthodox  party 
found  itself  in  a  small  majority.  The  memorials  and  tes 
timonies  of  preceding  years  had  not  been  without  effect 
in  arousing  the  supine,  and  in  convincing  those  who  had 
heretofore  been  sceptical  as  to  the  extent  of  the  danger 
in  which  the  Church  stood.  The  business  of  reform  was 
brought  before  this  body  in  an  able  "  Testimony  and 
Memorial,"  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Breckinridge,  making 
sixteen  specifications  as  to"  false  doctrine,  which  have  been 
already  transcribed  in  this  chapter,  and  proposing  the 
immediate  abrogation  of  the  Plan  of  Union,  the  discoun 
tenancing  of  the  American  Education  and  Home  Mis 
sionary  Societies,  and  other  measures  likely  to  promote 
discipline  and  sound  government.  Pending  the  discussion 
upon  this  paper,  committees  were  appointed  from  both 
sides,  to  agree,  if  possible,  upon  an  amicable  separation ; 
which,  having  failed,  the  vote  was  taken  upon  the  abro 
gation  of  the  Plan  of  Union,  which  passed  by  a  majority 
of  thirty-three.  It  was  then  carried,  that,  by  this  abro 
gation,  the  four  Synods  of  Utica,  Geneva,  Genessee,  and 
Western  Reserve,  which  were  founded  upon  this  platform, 


208  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

"are,  and  are  hereby  declared  to  be,  no  longer  a  part  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America." 
This  action  has  been  assailed  as  unconstitutional  and  severe, 
and  as  reaching,  by  one  sweeping  legislative  decree,  an  evil 
that  should  have  been  redressed  by  judicial  process.  But 
if  anything  was  clearly  demonstrated,  it  was  the  utter  fu 
tility,  in  the  existing  state  of  the  Church,  of  bringing  any 
party  to  public  trial  on  charge  of  heresy.  The  cases  of 
Barnes,  Beecher,  Duffield,  Sturdevant,  and  Kirby,  were 
all  on  record  as  warnings  of  this  fact.  Besides,  the  error 
to  be  reached  was  so  diffused  as  almost  to  defy  prosecu 
tion  by  its  universality ;  and  in  the  districts  which  were 
covered  by  the  operation  of  the  Plan  of  Union,  the  guilty 
were  safe  in  the  mutual  protection  of  each  other,  and 
process  could  not  be  begun  in  the  courts  having  imme 
diate  jurisdiction.  If,  too,  the  Plan  of  Union  was  estab 
lished  by  a  legislative  act,  it  could  ex  cequali  be  legisla 
tively  declared  null  and  void,  as  unconstitutionally  created 
in  the  first  instance.*  Of  course,  as  soon  as  the  platform 
was  stricken  away  upon  which  they  rested,  the  Presby 
teries  and  Synods  that  were  erected  upon  it  as  a  basis 
naturally  and  necessarily  fell  through. 

The  last  struggle,  however,  remained  which  was  to 
test  the  Assembly's  power  to  enforce  its  own  decree.  In. 
the  following  year,  1838,  the  commissioners  from  these 
"  exscinded"  Synods  presented  themselves  with  their  cre 
dentials..  No  sooner  had  the  opening  prayer  been  offered 
than  Dr.  Patton  arose,  with  certain  resolutions  in  his 
hand.  The  Moderator,  adhering  closely  to  the  rules, 
pronounced  him  out  of  order,  since,  until  the  roll  was 
reported  of  those  with  regular  commissions,  there  was 
no  house  to  deliberate.  Dr.  Patton  appealed  from  the 
chair  to  the  house.  The  Moderator  replied,  there  was 
no  house  to  appeal  to.  The  scheme  was  to  intrude  these 
excluded  commissioners  upon  the  house  before  the  organ- 

*  See  Assembly's  Pastoral  Letter,  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Alexander :  Di 
gest,  Ed.  1856,  p.  745. 


OLD  AND  NEW  SCHOOL  CONTROVERSY.         209 

:/;ition;  and  failing  in  this,  to  organize  the  minority  as 
the  Assembly,  and  to  supersede  it.  Being  defeated  by 
the  tact  and  firmness  of  the  Moderator,  the  only  resource 
was  to  organize  in  a  tumultuous  way,  in  the  midst  of  the 
business  of  the  Assembly,  by  a  loud  call  from  Mr.  Cleave- 
land,  in  the  body  of  the  house,  upon  Dr.  Beman  to  take 
the  chair.  This  gentleman  stepped  into  the  aisle,  where, 
in  the  utmost  confusion,  the  throng  about  him  responded 
to  several  questions,  and  the  whole  party  retired  to -or 
ganize  in  another  building.  The  disruption  was  effected. 
The  Old  and  the  New  Schools  were  now  distinctly  apart ; 
and  those  who  stood  by  the  Constitution  of  the  Church, 
in  a  strict  interpretation  of  her  symbols  of  doctrine  and 
principles  of  government,  rejoiced  in  a  great  deliverance. 


CHAPTEK   XY. 
POLEMIC  CAREER  BEGUN. 

PBOVIDENTIAL  TRAINING  FOB  HIS  FUTUBE  WOBK.— MEMBEB  OP  ASSEMBLY 
IN  1837. — INSUTE  VIEW  OF  THAT  COUNCIL.— GBADUAL  SIFTING  OF  THE 
CHUBCH. — TESTIMONY  BEFOBE  THE  SYNOD. — TRACT  PUBLICATION.— 
LETTER  OF  CONDOLENCE. — CALLED  BACK  TO  THE  COLLEGE. — His  DE 
CISION  ANNOUNCED. — PASTORAL  RELATION  DISSOLVED. — ASSUMES  THE 
CHAPLAINCY  IN  THE  COLLEGE. 

DR.  THORSTWELL  was  licensed  in  the  fall  of  1834, 
and  was  ordained  the  following  spring.  His  ministry 
opened,  therefore,  just  as  the  two  parties  in  the  Church 
were  marshalling  their  forces  for  the  final  struggle.  His 
was  not  the  temperament  to  remain  a  listless  spectator  of 
these  movements.  Endowed  with  all  the  natural  charac 
teristics  of  a  leader,  his  place  could  not  be  other  than  in 
the  front.  His  intense  love  of  truth,  simply  as  truth, 
made  him  regardless  of  considerations  merely  prudential. 
As  we  have  seen,  too,  his  first  religious  impressions  were 
derived  from  a  mother  whose  teachings  were  strongly 
Calvinistic;  and  his  determination  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church  was  through  a  casual  introduction  to  the  West 
minster  Confession,  at  the  time  his  first  serious  investi 
gations  in  religion  were  set  on  foot.  His  future  work 
was  to  be  that  of  a  reformer,  in  an  age  of  great  spiritual 
declension;  and  Divine  Providence  chose  to  cast  him,  at 
the  outset,  into  the  mould  of  those  venerable  symbols 
which  most  accurately  defined  the  faith  of  the  universal 
Church. 

The  distant  South  was  fortunately  too  far  removed 
from  New  England  to  be  easily  manipulated;  and  the 
Presbyterianism  which  existed  there  was  of  that  sturdy 
Scotch  type,  which  had  proved  itself  so  competent  around 

211 


212        LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

Pittsburgh  to  enter  the  lists  with  error.  His  first  ap 
pearance  in  this  conflict  was  as  a  member  of  the  famous 
Assembly  of  1837,  in  whose  proceedings,  however,  he 
took  no  conspicuous  part.  He  did  not  appear  in  the 
body  until  the  ninth  day  of  its  sessions,  and  therefore  had 
no  hand  in  the  Convention  which  preceded  it,  nor  in  pre 
paring  the  Memorial  and  Testimony  that  shaped  its  de 
liberations'.  The  modesty  of  youth  kept  him  in  the 
background;  especially  since,  as  he  afterwards  expressed 
it  to  his  friend  Dr.  Breckinridge,  there  were  others  in  the 
lead  who  were  doing  the  work  bravely  and  well.  The 
following  extracts  from  letters,  written  at  the  time,  reveal 
the  deep  interest  he  felt  in  the  proceedings,  arid  give  also 
an  inside  view  of  the  same: 

"PHILADELPHIA,  May  26,  1837, 

"MY  VERY  DEAR  WIFE:  After  many  delays  and  unforeseen  hin 
drances,  I  reached  this  city  about  four  o'clock  this  afternoon.  *  *  * 

*  *     I  just  reached  here  at  the  point  of  time  for  the  agitating  questions 
that  will  come  up  before  us.     Mr.  Robert  J.  Breckinridge  gave  notice 
this  evening,  that  he  would  introduce  a  motion  to-morrow  for  the  ap 
pointment  of  a  committee,  to  consist  of  equal  members  of  both  parties, 
for  the  purpose  of  devising  the  most  peaceable  mode  of  dividing  the 
Presbyterian  Church.     I  have  no   doubt  but  that  this  Assembly  will 
settle  all  the  difficulties  of  the  Church.     We  shall,  in  all  probability, 
get  rid  of  the  New  School  men,  and  be  enabled^hereafter  to  preach  and 
propagate  the  gospel  without  molestation  or  controversy.      Men,  who 
heretofore  have  been  moderate,  are  now  taking  high  ground.     The  im 
portance  of  the  questions  at  issue  begins  to  be  generally  felt.      *     *     * 

*  *     *     The  results  of  this  Assembly  may  and  will  be  felt  to  the  end 
of  time.     The  future  history  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  will  depend, 
under  God,  upon  the  measures  adopted  now,  by  the  highest  of  her  judi- 
catories.     There  should  be  much  prayer,  much  study  of  the  Scriptures, 
and  much  watchfulness  over  our  words  and  thoughts.     May  the  Lord 
preside  in  all  our  deliberations,  and  order  all  things  so  as  to  promote 
His  glory,  in  the  up-building  of  Zion  and  the  spread  of  the  truth.    *  *  * 

"  Your  affectionate  husband, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

Ill  another  letter,  of  date  June  5th,  he  writes : 

' '  The  vote  was  taken  to-day  on  excluding  the  Synods  of  Utica,  Geneva, 
and  Genessee,  which,  with  the  Synod  of  Western  Reserve,  will  make 
four  Synods  that  have  been  excluded  from  the  Church.  They  never, 


POLEMIC  CAREER  BEGUN.  213 

constitutionally  and  regularly,  formed  a  part  of  the  Clmrch,  and  therefore 
it  was  no  hardship  to  say  so.  We  shall  probably  dissolve  the  Third 
Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  and  the  Presbytery  of  Wilmington,  w,hich 
were  formed  upon  the  Elective  Affinity  principle ;  and  then  cite  to  the 
bar  of  the  next  Assembly  such  other  ecclesiastical  bodies  as  are  reported 
to  be  unsound.  The  work  of  reform  seems  to  go  on  prosperously  ;  the 
Lord  has  opened  up  an  unexpected  door  of  deliverance  to  His  people. 
I  know  that  you  feel  anxious  about  me,  that  you  entertain  fears  about 
my  temper  and  spirit.  You  may  make  yourself  easy  on  these  points.  I 
have  not  opened  my  mouth  in  the  Assembly  or  Convention,  except  to 
give  a  vote,  and  I  do  not  expect  to  do  so.  I  have  sought  constantly  guid 
ance  and  direction  from  the  Lord ;  and  though  I  am  conscious  of  much 
sin  and  imperfection,  yet  I  have  endeavoured,  in  the  strength  of  Divine 
grace,  to  discharge  my  duties  faithfully.  I  have  been  deeply  grieved 
and  humbled  at  the  spirit  which  has  been  too  frequently  manifested  in 
this  body ;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  excitement,  and  the  mutual  recrimi 
nation  and  personality,  which  have  been  too  freely  indulged,  I  have 
often  wished  myself  at  home,  where  I  could  enjoy  the  peace  and  comfort 
of  my  own  family.  The  Lord  has  shown  me,  in  the  proceedings  of  this 
General  Assembly,  that  there  is  no  confidence  to  be  placed  in  man  ;  that 
the  best  of  us  are  weak  and  erring  mprtals,  who  cannot  see  afar  off.  I 
rejoice,  however,  that  the  agitating  subjects,  on  which  we  have  hereto 
fore  been  employed,  are  drawing  to  a  close.  We  will  soon  be  eng  iged 
in  more  peaceful  and  quiet  business,  unless  the  members  who  have  been 
excluded  should  undertake  to  distiirb  our  deliberations.  The  spectators 
who  have  attended  our  deliberations  have  behaved,  in  several  instances, 
very  uucourteously.  We  have  been  hissed  from  the  galleries  three  or 
four  times  to-day.  Our  New  School  brethren,  in  too  many  instances, 
have  made  their  speeches  only  to  the  galleries;  in  other  words,  their 
object  seems  to  have  been  to  produce  a  popular  impression  against  the 
orthodox.  They  have  treated  the  questions  which  came  up  before  us 
with  a  great  deal  of  unfairness  ;  and  one  hour  spent  in  the  General 
Assembly  would  convince  your  mind  that  the  two  parties  ought  never 
to  meet  again  in  the  same  body.  They  have  no  confidence  in  one  an 
other  ;  they  are  wide  apart  in  spirit,  principle,  and  doctrines ;  and  no 
thing  but  confusion  and  disorder  can  result  from  their  being  united. "  *  * 

Such  a  schism,  as  described  in  the  preceding  chapter, 
could  not  but  shake  the  Church,  from  its  centre  to  its  cir 
cumference.  In  all  parts  of  the  land  were  to  be  found 
many  who  were  disaffected  to  those  measures  by  which 
the  rupture  had  been  produced;  some,  perhaps,  because 
themselves  tainted  with  the  prevalent  unsoundness  in 
doctrine,  but  many  more  influenced  by  mere  sympathy 
with  the  excluded  Synods,  and  who  regarded  the  abro- 


214  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

gation  of  the  Plan  of  Union  as  the  violation  of  a  covenant, 
and  as  having  been  accomplished  in  an  extra-constitu 
tional,  if  not  unconstitutional,  way.  The  sifting  of  the 
two  parties,  throughout  the  whole  country,  could  only  be 
gradually  secured.  In  some  places,  after  the  disruption 
and  formation  of  two  rival  Assemblies,  there  was  a  dis 
position  in  Presbyteries  and  parts  of  Presbyteries  to  hang 
undecided  between  the  two.  It  became  necessary,  there 
fore,  to  push  the  question,  until  the  position  of  every  one 
in  the  Church  should  be  definitely  ascertained.  Accord 
ingly,  the  Assembly  of  1838  passed  an  Act,  enjoining  upon 
all  Presbyteries  in  its  connection  to  take  order  in  the 
premises  for  the  general  reform  and  pacification  of  the 
Church,  and  to  do  so  between  the  dissolution  of  that  As 
sembly  and  the  fall  meetings  of  the  Synods. 

It  so -happened  that,  within  the  bounds  of  the  Synods 
of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  some  dissatisfaction  with 
these  Reform  measures  did  exist,  though  confined  to  but 
one  locality  in  either  State.  When  this  Synod  met,  in 
the  autumn,  Mr.  Thornwell  presented  the  following  paper, 
which  was  adopted  by  that  body  by  a  vote  of  forty -nine 
to  eight : 

"  Whereas,  disputes  and  contentions,  which  have  existed  among  the 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  have  resulted  in  a  division  of  our 
communion  into  two  denominations,  differing  from  each  other,  as  we 
suppose,  on  topics  of  faith,  involving  essential  elements  of  the  Gospel 
plan ;  and  whereas,  it  is  the  duty  of  all  the  courts  of  the  Church  to  con 
tend  earnestly  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints  ;  we,  as  a  Synod, 
feel  called  upon,  in  the  present  crisis  of  our  ecclesiastical  affairs,  to 
bear  this;  our  solemn  testimony,  for  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  in  oppo 
sition  to  the  errors  and  heresies  which  are  now  abroad  in  the  land. 

"1.  It  is  a  fundamental  article  of  the  Christian  faith,  that  the  guilt 
of  Adam's  first  sin  is  imputed  to  all  his  posterity,  descended  from  him 
by  ordinary  generation,  so  that  they  are  born  in  a  state  of  condemna 
tion  and  depravity  ;  that  this  imputation  is  immediate  and  direct,  having 
no  reference  to  their  subsequent  concurrence  in  his  sin  by  voluntary 
transgression,  but  founded  solely  upon  the  fact,  that  he  was  constituted, 
by  the  sovereign  appointment  of  God,  their  federal  head  and  represen 
tative. 

"2.  It  is  a  fundamental  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  that  Jesus  Christ 


POLEMIC  CAREER  BEGUN.  215 

was  actually  the  substitute  of  a  chosen  seed ;  that  He  assumed  their  le 
gal  responsibilities,  and  rendered  a  true  and  proper  satisfaction  to  Divine 
justice  on  their  behalf,  by  enduring  the  penalty  of  the  law  in  their  name 
and  stead  ;  that  the  obedience  and  death  of  Christ  constitute  the  alone 
ground  of  a  sinner's  acceptance  before  God,  and  that  '  to  all  those  for 
whom  Christ  purchased  redemption,  He  doth  certainly  and  effectually 
apply  and  communicate  the  same.' 

"3.  The  inability  of  the  sinner  to  comply  with  the  demands  of  the 
Divine  law,  to  believe  the  Gospel,  or  to  exercise  any  holy  affection,  is 
absolute  and  entire  ;  so  that  regeneration  is  effected  alone  by  the  direct 
and  immediate  agency  and  power  of  God  the  Spirit  ;  the  subject  of 
this  work  of  grace  being  passive,  in  respect  to  the  vital  operation  of  re 
newing  the  heart.  We  believe,  moreover,  that  the  saving  grace  of  God 
is  always  efficacious  and  invincible,  and  its  final  triumph  sure. 

"  4.  We  believe  that  the  form  of  doctrine  usually  called  Hopkinsian- 
ism,  though  a  milder  form  of  error  than  Taylorism,  or  Pelagianism,  is 
inconsistent  with  the  Presbyterian  standards  ;  and  if  fully  carried  out 
in  its  consequences  and  results,  is  utterly  destructive  of  the  fundamen 
tal  principles  of  the  Gospel. 

"  5.  This  is  our  solemn  testimony  of  the  truths  of  the  Gospel.  And 
for  the  satisfaction  of  those  brethren  who  have  been  perplexed  with 
anxiety  and  doubt  in  regard  to  the  theological  instruction  which  is  given 
in  our  Seminary,  we,  the  members  of  this  Synod,  including  the  Profes 
sors  of  the  Theological  Seminary,  do  pledge  ourselves,  that  no  contrary 
doctrine  shall  be  taught  in  the  Seminary,  or  in  our  pulpits  ;  and  that,  as 
professors  and  ministers,  we  will  endeavour  to  guard  our  pupils  and 
hearers  against  all  the  heresies  condemned  in  this  testimony." 

He  was  at  this  time  not  quite  twenty-six  years  of  age, 
and  had  been  but  a  few  months  a  Professor  in  the  South 
Carolina  College,  when  his  influence  began  to  be  felt  thus 
in  the  councils  of  the  Church.  In  1840,  when,  it  will  be 
remembered,  he  was  settled  as  a  pastor  in  the  town  of 
Columbia,  his  zeal  for  the  spread  of  orthodox  views  was 
displayed  in  another  direction.  He  conceived  the  project 
of  publishing  a  series  of  tracts,  chiefly  the  reproduction  of 
the  writings  of  the  old  divines,  relying  upon  their  sale  to 
meet  the  expenses  of  publication.  Such  a  scheme,  how 
ever,  requires  an  energetic  agency  for  the  purpose  of  dis« 
tribution,  for  want  of  which  this  particular  enterprise  fell 
through,  after  issuing  two  of  the  series.  The  first  was  an 
fxtract  from  the  writings  of  Traill;  the  other  was  a  bro 
chure  from  his  own  pen,  on  Election  and  Reprobation, 


210  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

which  will  be  found  in  the  second  volume  of  his  works. 
This  scheme  is  brought  to  view  in  the  following  letter  to 
his  friend  and  brother-in-law.  Dr.  J.  J.  Wardlaw,  of  Abbe 
ville,  S.  C.  : 

"COLUMBIA,  February  14,  1840. 

' '  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  write  you  at  present  for  the  purpose  of  enlisting 
your  interest  in  behalf  of  an  enterprise  in  which  I  am  warmly  engaged, 
and  for  which  I  feel  a  lively  concern.  After  much  deliberation,  I  have 
determined  to  publish  a  series  of  theological  tracts  on  the  fundamental 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  selected  from  the  writings  of  standard  orthodox 
divines,  if  the  sale  will  cover  the  expenses.  The  first  of  the  series, 
which  is  a  letter  of  the  Rev.  Eobert  Traill,  vindicating  the  doctrine  of  Jus 
tification  from  the  unjust  charge  of  Antinomianism,  is  now  in  the  press, 
and  will  be  ready  for  delivery  in  a  few  days.  It  is  printed  in  octavo 
form,  and  will  consist  of  upwards  of  thirty  pages,  and  will  be  sold  at 
twenl  y-five  cents  per  copy.  If  it  shouM  fail  to  pay  for  itself,  the  whole 
project  will  be  abandoned.  Now,  I  am  anxious  that  you  should  see  Dr. 
Barr,  and  get  him  to  interest  himself  in  the  matter.  He  can  do  much, 
if  he  can  only  be  brought  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  matter.  He 
knows  that  such  things  are  desperately  needed.  We  have  had  a  national 
religion  long  enough.  We  want  something  on  the  peculiar  and  distin 
guishing  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  You  can  tell  him  that  the  tracts  are 
intended  to  be  after  the  '  most  straitest  sect'  of  ancient  Presbyterianism  ; 
for  they  will  be  selected  from  the  writings  of  the  divines  of  the  seven 
teenth  and  eighteenth  centuries.  I  wish  all  your  ministers  and  people 
in  Abbeville  District  could  be  waked  up,  and  made  to  take  a  lively  in 
terest  in  the  spread  of  unadulterated  truth.  I  do  not  ask  for  contribu 
tions  ;  I  barely  ask  that  they  would  buy  the  tracts  and  read  them. 

' '  We  were  very  sorry  to  hear  that  your  dear  little  son  has  had  to  fare  so 
uncomfortably.  You  begin  to  know  now  something  of  the  anxieties  of 
a  father.  I  pray  that  the  Lord  may  give  you  grace  to  discharge  faithfully 
and  acceptably  the  solemn  and  interesting  duties  of  that  relationship. 
At  such  times,  when  such  serious  obligations  are  crowding  upon  us,  we 
should  seek  the  special  favour  and  assistance  of  God.  He  only  can 
make  us  a  blessing  to  our  children^  and  them  a  blessing  to  us,  and  to 
the  world.  Satis  verbum  sapienti.  *  *  *  Yours  sincerely, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL  . ?l 

The  following  letter  is  addressed  to  his  friend  and  for- 

O 

mer  patron,  General  James  Grillespie,  and  reveals  him  as 
a  "son  of  consolation:" 

"COLUMBIA,  October  2nd,  1840. 

"  MY  VERY  DEAR  GENERAL  :  The  mournful  event  which  has  recently 
occurred  in  your  sister's  family,*  has  produced  a  deep  impression  upon 
*  Death  of  the  eldest  son. 


POLEMIC  CAREER  BEGUN.  217 

my  mind.  It  is  one  of  those  riddles  in  the  dispensation  of  Divine  Provi 
dence  which  baffles  the  wisdom  of  the  wisest,  and  brings  tbo  most  care 
less  to  reflection.  My  heart  has  bled,  as  I  thought  of  the  blasted  hopes 
and  disappointed  expectations  of  a  fond  mother.  I  know  that  she  had 
looked  upon  him  as,  in  some  measure,  the  head  of  the  family,  and  was 
preparing  to  lean  upon  him  as  the  prop  of  her  declining  years  ;  but  in 
a  moment,  the  bright  anticipations  of  a  parent's  heart  are  shrouded  in 
the  darkness  of  cheerless  despair.  I  could  well  conceive  the  agony  of 
that  dreadful  moment,  when  all  the  hopes  of  his  recovery  were  found  to 
be  delusive,  and  the  avvful  certainty  of  death  was  irresistibly  felt.  It 
was,  indeed,  a  moment  of  fiery  trial :  and  I  am  seriously  apprehensive 
that  the  shock  has  been  too  great  for  your  sister's  frame.  But  I  rejoice 
that  she  is  in  the  hands  of  a  merciful  God,  and  most  sincerely  pray  that 
He  may  preserve  her  from  all  temptation  to  distrust  His  goodness,  or 
murmur  at  His  ways.  Though  '  clouds  and  darkness  are  round  about 
Him,  righteousness  and  truth  are  still  the  habitation  of  His  throne.'  It 
should  always  be  a  sufficient  argument  to  reconcile  our  minds  to  any 
proceeding,  however  mysterious,  that  it  is  the  Lord's  doing ;  and  since  He 
is  as  merciful  as  He  is  wise,  we  may  rest  assured  that  He  doth  not  will 
ingly  afflict,  nor  grieve  the  children  of  men.  Our  times  of  trial  are 
times  of  temptation  ;  and  precious  is  that  faith  which  loses  nothing  but 
its  dross  in  the  heat  of  the  furnace. 

"  I  know  that  your  own  feelings  have  been  deep  and  strong.  I  sym 
pathize  most  heartily  and  unfeignedly  with  you  ;  and  should  much  re 
joice  to  see  you.  that  I  might  walk  with  you  through  these  deep  waters 
of  affliction.  Oh !  how  it  endears  the  Saviour,  when  the  cords  which 
bind  us  to  life  are  successively  snapping  asunder,  and  leaving  nothing  in 
time  but  a  dreary  prospect  of  desolation  !  Every  day  I  am  becoming 
more  and  more  convinced  of  the  utter  vanity  of  the  creature.  I  feel 
that  God  is  the  only  adequate  portion  of  the  soul ;  and  I  endeavour  to 
sit  loose  to  ah1  the  things  of  earth.  Every  death  reminds  us  that  the 
distance  between  time  and  eternity  is  very  short,  and  that  the  Judge 
stands  ever  at  the  door.  Our  highest  wisdom  is  to  be  always  ready. 

' '  My  church  is  growing ;  the  congregation  has  been  almost  doubled, 
and  the  Lord  has  accompanied  the  truth  in  several  instances  with  re 
markable  outpourings  of  the  Spirit.  My  people  are  devoted  to  me.  To 
a  man  they  will  bitterly  protest  against  the  efforts  of  the  Board  to  carry 
me  back  to  the  College.  In  regard  to  that  matter,  I  am  in  a  perplexing 
strait.  I  know  not  what  to  do  ;  but  I  have  no  doubt  of  being  directed 
by  Him  who  has  promised  to  give  wisdom  to  those  who  ask.  When  first 
solicited,  I  positively  and  unconditionally  declined  ;  but  when  urgent 
entreaties  came  from  different  individuals  in  different  parts  of  the  State, 
I  felt  bound  to  pause  and  consider  ;  and  there  the  matter  rests 

"  Yours  as  ever,  J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

His  restoration  to  the  College,  alluded  to  above,  was 
the  great  turning-point  in  his  career.  Having  occupied 


218  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

the  chair  of  Metaphysics,  with  great  acceptance,  during 
the  year  1838  and  1839,  he  had  been  pressed  in  conscience 
to  resign,  in  order  that,  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  he 
might  preach  the  Word.  For  one  year  (1840)  he  filled 
the  pastorate  of  the  Columbia  church,  with  the  results 
detailed  in  the  preceding  letter.  The  election,  however, 
of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Elliott,  to  the  Episcopal  Diocese  of  Geor 
gia,  left  vacant  the  chaplaincy  of  the  College,  together 
with  the  professorship  of  Sacred  Literature,  to  which  it 
was  united.  All  eyes,  not  only  in  the  Board,  but  also  in 
the  State,  were  turned  to  Mr.  Thornwell,  as  a  most  suit- 
^able  successor.  Amongst  the  loose  papers  which  he  left 
behind,  is  a  carefully  prepared  "Statement  of  Reasons, " 
for  and  against  the  proposed  transfer;  showing  how  anx 
iously  he  surveyed  the  whole  ground,  and  with  what  con 
scientiousness  a  decision  was  finally  reached.  This  deci 
sion  was  formally  announced  in  a  communication  to  tho- 
congregation,  from  which  a  single  extract  will  suffice; 
which  we  give  simply  because  it  covers  a  principle  which 
he  had  occasion  to  apply  at  other  critical  periods  of  his 
life,  and  upon  which  he  always  laid  a  peculiar  emphasis : 
"  The  general  principle  upon  which  I  acted — and  I  think 
that  the  principle  will  commend  itself  to  your  judgment — 
was  this:  that  the  dispensations  of  Providence  are  in 
tended  for  our  guidance  and  direction,  whenever  they  da 
not  come  into  collision  with  the  express  and  implied  pre 
cepts  of  the  Word  of  God.  In  all  other  cases  they  are 
designed  to  try  us,  but  in  these  to  lead  us,  being  unam 
biguous  intimations  of  the  Divine  will.  In  the  present 
instance  you  are  familiar  with  the  facts,  and  can  apply 
the  principle.  *  *  *  *  Guided  by  this  principle, 
and  from  .a  spirit,  as  I  trust,  of  obedience  to  God,  I  con 
sented,  after  a  long  and  painful  struggle,  and  after  much 
earnest  prayer,  to  accept  the  appointment  which  was 
unanimously  tendered  to  me.  I  can  truly  say,  with  Paul, 
that  *  I  go  bound  in  the  Spirit,' "  etc. 

In  January,  1841,  the  pastoral  relation  was  accordingly 


POLEMIC  CAREER  BEGUN.  219 

dissolved,  and  he  entered  upon  his  duties  immediately  as 
chaplain  in  the  College,  and  a  second  time  filling  a  Pro 
fessor's  chair  within  the  same.  It  is  a  little  curious,  how 
often  the  station  we  are  called  to  fill  in  life  differs  from  that 
we  would  ourselves  have  chosen.  A  series  of  providential 
events,  through  a  succession  of  years,  shuts  up  a  man  to 
academic  life,  who,  three  years  before,  could  write,  upon 
the  occasion  of  his  first  appointment,  "  I  confess  that  it  is 
not  the  situation  of  my  choice.  I  had  rather  be  the  pastor 
of  a  church  than  to  be  the  most  distinguished  Professor 
of  whom  the  world  could  boast."  The  position,  however, 
which  he  now  filled,  gave  to  him  the  cure  of  souls,  in 
which  the  scruples  of  his  conscience  and  the  longings  of 
his  heart  were  alike  satisfied.  The  interruption  of  his 
labours  in  his  new  calling,  and  the  voyage  to  Europe  for 
the  recovery  of  health,  have  already  been  recited. 


CHAPTER   XYI. 
THE  BOARD  QUESTION. 

DISCUSSIONS  ABOUT  THE  BOARDS  OF  THE  CHURCH. — RlSES  OUT  OF  THE 
PREVIOUS  CONTROVERSY. — DEBATE  IN  SYNOD.— INCIDENT  IN  THE  SAME. 
— FIRST  WRITTEN  ATTACK  ON  THE  BOARDS. — ARTICLE  ON  APOCRYPHA. — 
SECOND  ARTICLE  ON  THE  BOARDS. — LETTERS  ON  THE  SAME  SUBJECT. 

IT  has  been  stated,  in  a  preceding  chapter,  that  most  of 
the  discussions  in  which  Dr.  Thornwell  was  engaged, 
were  a  sort  of  remainder  from  the  original  controversy  by 
which  the  Church  was  rent,  in  1837-'8.  The  first  that 
emerged  into  view  was  the  discussion  about  Boards. 
During  the  period  when  the  Church  was  brought  under 
a  species  of  vassalage  to  Congregationalism,  the  great 
National  Societies,  which  usurped  her  functions,  con 
ducted  their  operations  by  the  agency  of  Boards.  The 
Church  had  become  familiar  with  that  mode  of  action; 
and  when  the  effectual  blow  was  struck  for  her  emanci 
pation,  this  was  supposed  to  be  fully  accomplished,  when 
these  national  organizations  were  disowned.  The  great 
principle  upon  which  the  argument  turned,  that  the 
Church,  in  her  organized  form,  must  do  her  own  work, 
was  supposed  to  be  satisfied,  when  Boards  exactly  anala- 
gous  were  established  by  the  Church  herself,  as  the  agents 
by  whom  her  will  was  to  be  carried  out.  It  could  not  be 
long,  however,  before  it  was  perceived  that  the  above- 
named  cardinal  principle  must  be  extended  further :  that 
a  Board,  consisting  of  many  members,  distributed  over  a 
large  territory,  to  whom  her  evangelistic  functions  were 
remitted,  did  not  satisfy  the  idea  of  the  Church  acting  in 
her  own  capacity,  and  under  the  rules  which  the  Consti- 


222  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

tution  prescribed  for  her  guidance.  Dr.  Thornwell  was 
one  of  those  who  planted  themselves  firmly  against  their 
continuance  in  the  Church.  It  is  not  the  business  of  the 
biographer  to  discuss  his  views,  but  only  to  afford  him 
the  opportunity  of  presenting  them.  It  may  be  remarked, 
however,  that  he  was  not  opposed  to  combined  or  united 
action  on  the  part  of  the  Church,  but  only  insisted  that 
the  central  agency  should  be  simply  executive:  the  mere 
instrument  by  which  the  Assembly  acts,  and  not  an  agent 
standing  in  the  place  of  the  Assembly,  and  acting  for  it. 
The  first  occasion  on  which  he  publicly  developed  his 
views  was  at  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina 
and  Georgia ;  where  a  stiff  debate  was  held  upon  the  prin 
ciples  involved,  and  in  which  the  Rev.  Thomas  Smyth, 
D.  D.,  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  was  his  chief  antagonist.  An 
incident  is  related  of  this  debate,  so  characteristic  of  the 
man,  that  it  deserves  to  be  recorded.  In  the  heat  of  the 
discussion,  he  suffered  himself  to  be  borne  beyond  the 
bounds  of  strict  propriety.  The  old  spirit  of  invective 
and  sarcasm,  which  later  years  so  perfectly  subdued, 
manifested  itself  in  expressions  a  little  too  scornful  of  his 
opponent,  and  the  impression  was  not  pleasant  upon  the 
house.  It  so  happened  that  his  speech  closed  exactly  at 
the  hour  of  recess  at  noon,  and  there  was  no  opportunity 
for  rejoinder.  Immediately  upon  re-assembling,  he  arose 
and  apologised  in  handsome  terms  for  the  discourtesy  into 
which  he  had  been  betrayed,  and  declared  his  profound 
esteem  for  the  learning,  ability,  and  piety  of  his  adversary. 
It  was  done  so  spontaneously,  and  with  such  evident  sin 
cerity,  that  criticism  was  completely  disarmed ;  and  there 
was  a  universal  feeling  of  admiration  for  the  magnanimity 
and  courage  which  could  so  fully  redeem  a  fault. 

This  discussion  is  thus  referred  to  in  the  first  of  many 
letters  it  will  be  our  pleasure  to  transcribe,  addressed  to- 
Dr.  R.  J.  Breckinridge,  with  whom  he  was  thoroughly 
associated  in  the  discussion  of  all  these  Church  ques 
tions  : 


THE  BOARD  QUESTION.  223 

"COLUMBIA,  December  17,  1840. 

"  EEV.  AND  DEAR  SIB  :  Above  you  have  a  draft  on  the  Commercial  Bank 
of  Pennsylvania  for  seventy  dollars.  I  endeavoured  to  procure  one  on 
some  of  the  banks  of  Baltimore,  but  could  not  succeed.  You  \vill  please 
apply  the  money  to  the  Evangelical  church  at  Lyons,  and  the  Theolo 
gical  Seminary  at  Geneva.  I  read  to  my  people  the  correspondence  be 
tween  your  church  and  that  of  Lyons,  and  between  yourself  and  J.  H. 
Merle  d'Aubigne ;  and  without  any  other  solicitation  than  what  is  con 
tained  in  your  Magazine,  they  made  up  among  themselves  the  amount 
forwarded.  It  is  but  a  pittance,  but  still  it  is  a  free-will  offering.  You 
may  give  half  to  the  church  and  half  to  the  Seminary. 

You  will  probably  hear  exaggerated  accounts  of  the  discussion  in  our 
Synod  on  the  subject  of  Boards  and  Agencies.  For  your  February 
number,  I  intend  to  send  you  a  document  which  I  have  carefully  pre 
pared  upon  this  subject,  and  which  has  received  the  sanction  of  a  very 
respectable  minorit}7  among  us.  I  would  have  sent  it  to  you  before ; 
but  affliction  in  my  family,  combined  with  other  circumstances  which 
it  is  useless  to  mention,  prevented  me  from  complying  with  the  promise 
which  I  made  in  Philadelphia 

"  Your  sincere  friend  and  Christian  brother, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


This  was  followed,  a  month  later,  with  a  fuller  expo 
sition  of  his  views  on  the  same  subject,  in  a  letter  ad 
dressed  also  to  Dr.  Breckinridge : 


*'  COLUMBIA,  January  27,  1841. 

"REV.  AND  DEAR  SIR:  I  have  detained  my  manuscript  in  my  hands 
much  longer  than  I  had  any  idea  of  doing,  when  I  wrote  to  you  before. 
My  object  in  the  delay  has  been  to  copy  it;  but  day  after  day  has 
passed  over,  and  I  have  been  so  constantly  occupied  that  I  have  had 
no  time  for  the  drudgery  of  re-writing  it.  I  send  it  to  you,  therefore, 
with  all  the  imperfections  of  a  first  draft.  It  was  written  before  the 
meeting  of  our  Synod,  with  the  view  of  presenting  it  to  that  body,  and 
in  their  name  sending  it  as  a  memorial  to  the  Assembly.  This,  how 
ever,  was  not  done.  I  submitted  the  manuscript  to  a  few  members  of 
Synod,  who  cordially  concurred  in  its  leading  statements.  My  ob 
ject  in  publishing  it  is  not  to  gain  a  point,  but  to  elicit  discussion.  I 
believe  that  the  Boards  will  eventually  prove  our  masters,  unless  they 
are  crushed  in  their  infancy.  They  are  founded  upon  a  radical  mis 
conception  of  the  true  nature  and  extent  of  ecclesiastical  power ;  and 
they  can  only  be  defended,  by  running  into  the  principle  against  which 
the  Reformers  protested,  and  for  which  the  Oxford  divines  are  now 
zealously  contending.  This  view  of  the  subject  ought  to  have  been 
enlarged  on  more  fully  than  has  been  done  in  the  article,  because  the 


224  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

principle  involved  in  it  is  of  vital  importance ;  but  I  thought  it  better 
to  reserve  a  full  discussion  of  it  for  some  subsequent  article. 

"There  is  a  fact  connected  with  the  influence  of  the  Boards  that 
speaks  volumes  against  them.  A  few  men  in  the  Church  have  presumed 
to  question  the  wisdom  of  their  organization.  These  men  are  met  with 
a  universal  cry  of  denunciation  from  all  parts  of  the  land.  If,  in  their 
infancy,  they  (the  Boards)  can  thus  brow-beat  discussion,  what  may  we 
not  expect  from  them  in  the  maturity  of  manhood  ? 

"It  is  not  to  be  disguised,  that  our  Church  is  becoming  deplorably 
secular.  She  has  degenerated  from  a  spiritual  body  into  a  mere  petty 
corporation.  "When  we  meet  in  our  ecclesiastical  courts,  instead  of  at 
tending  to  the  spiritual  interests  of  God's  kingdom,  we  scarcely  do  any 
thing  more  than  examine  and  audit  accounts,  and  devise  ways  and  means 
for  raising  money.  We  are  for  doing  God's  work  by  human  wisdom  and 
human  policy ;  and  what  renders  the  evil  still  more  alarming,  is  that  so 
few  are  awake  to  the  real  state  of  the  case.  Your  Magazine  is  the  only 
paper  in  the  Church  that  can  be  called  a  faithful  witness  for  the  truth. 
I  do  sincerely  and  heartily  thank  God  for  the  large  measure  of  grace 
which  He  has  bestowed  upon  you.  I  regard  the  principles  which  you 
advocate  of  so  much  importance,  that  I  could  make  any  sacrifice  of  com 
fort  or  of  means,  consistent  with  other  obligations,  to  aid  and  support 
you. 

"  I  rejoice  that  you  remember  me  and  my  poor  labours  in  your 
prayers.  My  field  of  labour  in  the  College  is  arduous  and  trying ;  but 
God  has  given  me  the  ascendency 'among  the  students.  I  have  an  in 
teresting  prayer-meeting  and  a  Bible-class.  My  sermons  on  Sunday  are 
very  seriously  listened  to  ;  and  I  have  succeeded  in  awaking  a  strong 
interest  in  the  evidences  of  our  religion. 

"I  have  formed  the  plan  of  publishing  an  edition  of  'Butler's  An 
alogy,'  with  an  analysis  of  each  chapter,  a  general  view  of  the  whole 
argument,  and  a  special  consideration  of  the  glaring  defects  in  the 
statement  of  Christian  doctrine,  with  which  the  book  abounds.  It  is  a 
subject  on  which  I  have  spent  much  patient  thought,  and  on  which  I 
feel  somewhat  prepared  to  write.  What  think  you  of  the  scheme  ?  If 
you  should  favour  it,  any  suggestions  from  you  would  be  gratefully  re 
ceived.  At  some  future  day — I  shall  not  venture  to  fix  the  time — you 
may  expect  an  article  from  me  on  Natural  Theology.  I  have  been  care 
fully  collecting  materials  on  the  subject,  and  shall  embody  them  in  a  re 
view  of  '  Paley's  Theology,'  Bell  and  Brougham's  edition. 

"  In  regard  to  the  article  on  Boards,*  I  give  you  leave  to  abridge, 
amend,  correct,  wherever  you  deem  it  necessary.  If  you  can  conve 
niently  do  so,  I  would  be  glad  to  have  you  return  the  manuscript,  as  1 
have  no  copy  of  it. 

"  Sincerely  yours,  J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

*  This  article  appeared  in  the  Baltimore  Literary  and  Religious  Maga- 
zirie,  in  1841.  It  will  be  found  in  the  fourth  volume  of  his  collected 
writings. 


THE  BOARD  QUESTION.  225 

A  little  earlier  than  this,  his  opinions  on  this  and  kin 
dred  topics  are  given  in  a  letter  addressed  to  the  Rev. 
John  Douglas,  one  of  his  bosorn  friends  through  life: 

"  COLUMBIA,  August  4,  1840. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  received  your  letter  of  inquiry,  warning,  and 
rebuke,  a  few  days  ago ;  and  was  not  a  little  amused  at  the  apprehen 
sions  which  you  expressed  in  relation  to  the  rectitude  (I  use  the  word  in 
its  primitive  acceptation)  of  my  course.  If  I  were  disposed  at  this 
time,  I  might  break  a  lance  with  you  on  the  great  principle  which  you 
have  assumed,  as  axiomatic  in  relation  to  the  use  of  reason  in  matters  of 
religious  worship.  I  shall  just  refer  you  to  the  second  question  in  the 
"Shorter  Catechism,"  with  its  answer,  for  the  only  rule  of  practice  as 
well  as  faith  ;  and  the  answers  to  the  one  hundred  and  eighth  and  the  one 
hundred  and  ninth  questions  of  the  "Larger  Catechism,"  for  the  true 
ground  on  which  all  the  inventions  of  man,  no  matter  how  reasonable, 
are  to  be  disapproved,  detested,  and  opposed.  And  if  I  am  singular,  at 
the  present  day,  in  maintaining  that  the  Bible  is  our  only  rule,  and  that 
where  it  is  silent  we  have  no  right  to  speak,  I  have  the  consolatku  of 
knowing,  that  I  stand  on  the  same  ground  which  was  occupied  by  Calvin, 
Chillingworth,  Owen,  and  the  venerable  Assembly  of  Divines  at  West 
minster.  I  weuld  particularly  direct  your  attention  to  ;  Calvin's  Insti 
tutes,'  Book  IV,  chapters  8th,  9th,  10th,  and  llth. 

"  I  am  satisfied  that  there  is  a  dangerous  departure,  in  the  present 
age  of  bustle,  activity,  and  vain-glorious  enterprise,  from  the  simplicity 
of  the  institutions  which  Christ  has  established  for  the  legitimate  action 
of  the  CUurch.  He  has  appointed  one  set  of  instrumentalities,  and  or 
dained  one  kind  of  agency  in  His  kingdom ;  but  we  have  made  void  His 
commandments,  in  order  to  establish  our  own  inventions.  I  believe 
that  the  entire  system  of  voluntary  Societies  and  ecclesiastical  Boards, 
for  religious  purposes,  is  fundamentally  wrong.  The  Church,  as  organ 
ized  by  her  Head,  is  competent  to  do  all  that  He  requires  of  her.  Ho 
has  furnished  her  with  the  necessary  apparatus  of  means,  officers,  and 
institutions,  in  Sessions,  Presbyteries,  Elders,  Pastors,  and  Evangelists. 
Let  us  take  Presbyterianism  as  we  have  it  described  in  our  Form  of 
Government,  and  let  us  carry  it  out  in  its  true  spirit,  and  we  shall  have 
no  use  for  the  sore  evil  of  incorporated  Boards,  vested  funds,  and  travel 
ling  agencies.  If  it  is  wrong  to  hold  these  principles,  it  was  certainly 
wrong  to  lay  down  such  a  form  for  the  goverment  of  the  Church  ;  and 
if  we  do  not  intend  to  execute  the  form,  let  us  cease  requiring  our 
ministers  to  assent  to  it.  Such  is  a  skeleton  of  my  views.  I  should  like  to 
go  into  a  full  investigation  of  the  subject  with  you,  but  a  single  letter 
would  hardly  give  room  for  an  introduction. 

"  In  relation  to  Temperance  Societies,  I  am  accustomed  to  draw  a  dis 
tinction.  I  regard  them  as  secular  enterprises,  for  temporal  good,  having 
no  connection  whatever  with  the  kingdom  of  Christ ;  a  mere  embalming 


226  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

•of  the  corpse  to  arrest  the  progress  of  putrefaction.  In  this  light,  I  think 
it  well  that  the  potsherds  of  the  earth  should  engage  in  them.  They  are 
of  great  service  to  society.  Others  regard  them  as  really  helps  to  the  cause 
of  Christ,  instruments  of  building  up  His  kingdom  ;  that  is,  as  a  means 
of  grace,  for  the  kingdom  of  Christ  on  earth  consists  in  grace.  In  this 
sense,  I  oppose  them,  because  they  are  not  appointed  by  Christ.  Their 
true  position  is  among  the  institutions  of  civil  society.  There  I  cordially 
recommend  and  encourage  them. 

"  Remember  us  kindly  to  Mrs.  D.,  and  let  us  have  a  full  chat  before 
you  set  me  down  as  an  Antinomian. 

"  Your  friend  and  brother, 

J,  H.  THOKNWELL." 

The  next  contribution  of  his  pen  was  destined  to  bring 
him  more  conspicuously  before  the  public  as  a  contro 
versialist,  and  involved  him  in  labours  which  he  never 
anticipated.  It  was  an  article  on  the  Apocrypha,  written 
at  Dr.  Breckinridge's  request,  and  published  in  his  Maga 
zine  in  1841.  Being  subsequently  reprinted  in  a  local 
paper  in  South  Carolina,  it  drew  forth  a  reply  from  Dr. 
Lynch,  subsequently  a  Bishop  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church  in  Charleston.  Dr.  Thornwell's  rejoinder  ex 
panded  into  a  book,  which  was  published  in  1845,  and 
entitled  "Romanist  Arguments  Refuted."  They  may  all 
be  found  in  the  third  volume  of  Dr.  Thornwell's  "  Col 
lected  Writings."  With  this  preliminary  statement,  the 
reader  will  readily  understand  the  allusions  in  the  corre 
spondence  which  follows,  opening  with  a  letter  to  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Breckinridge : 

"  SOUTH  CABOLINA  COLLEGE,  March  3,  1841. 

"  MY  DEAB  BBOTHER  :  According  to  your  request,  I  send  a  short 
article  on  the  Canonical  Authority  of  the  Apocrypha.  As  I  write  a 
free  and  open  hand,  and  the  sheets  are  small,  I  do  not  suppose  that  it 
will  fill  more  than  two  columns  of  such  a  paper  as  the  Visitor.  I  have 
written  under  some  disadvantage.  I  presume  that  it  was  your  desire  that 
I  should  keep  my  eye  upon  the  article  of  the  Priests,  in  one  of  the  pa 
pers  sent  me.  This  I  endeavoured  to  do,  but  I  had  to  rely  exclusively 
upon  my  recollection  of  its  contents,  as  one  of  my  servants  destroyed 
the  paper  soon  after  I  received  it.  Whether  my  article  notices  all  that 
was  important  in  their's,  I  cannot  say.  I  have  noticed  all  that  made 
sufficient  impression  upon  my  mind  to  be  remembered.  If  what  I  have 
written  meets  your  approbation,  and  will  be  of  any  sort  of  service  to 


THE  BOARD  QUESTION.  227 

you  in  this  controversy,  it  is  at  your  disposal.  I  sincerely  hope  that  God 
may  bring  great  good  out  of  this  unexpected  movement  in  Baltimore. 

"  The  destruction  of  the  paper  is  my  excuse  for  not  verifying  the 
quotations  of  the  Priests  for  you.  If  you  are  at  any  expense  in  sending 
the  numbers  of  the  Visitor,  containing  this  controversy,  I  would  thank 
you  to  put  down  my  name  as  a  subscriber  for  the  year.  By  the  first  op 
portunity,  I  wish  to  send  for  your  '  Papism  in  the  Nineteenth  Century 
in  the  United  States.' 

"  Praying  that  God  may  guide  you  and  bless  you  in  all  your  ways,  I 

remain> 

"  Your  sincere  friend  and  brother  in  Christ, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

Upon  his  return  from  Europe,  and  resumption  of  his 
duties  in  the  College,  the  discussion  on  the  subject  of  the 
Boards  was  revived.  This  was  occasioned  by  a  reply  to 
his  first  article,  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Smyth.  The  history 
will  be  developed  in  the  correspondence  that  follows : 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  October  14,  1841. 

"MY  DEAR  BROTHER:  Having  recently  returned  home,  I  have  been 
able  to  accomplish  nothing  yet.  In  fact,  I  have  been  threatened  with 
fever  every  day  since  my  return.  I  sent  you  Paxtou's  tract,  *  Heading 
no  Preaching,'  which  I  have  had  copied  ;  how  correctly,  I  cannot  say. 
If  you  think  it  worth  publishing,  it  is  at  your  service.  I  presume  that 
Smyth  is  the  reviewer  of  my  article  on  Boards.  I  shall  soon  notice  his 
lucubrations.  I  have  many  things  to  say  to  you,  but  have  not  time 
now.  May  grace,  mercy  and  peace  be  multiplied  upon  you. 
"Your  sincere  friend, 

J.  H.  T." 

To  this  Dr.  Breckinridge  replies : 

"BALTIMORE,  November  12,  1841. 

"DEAR  THORNWELL  :  After  a  long  and  painful  absence,  I  returned  to 
this  city  the  last  of  October ;  and  found  here  your  favour  of  October 
14,  with  the  tract  inclosed.  I  will  print  it  in  our  January  number.  If 
you  can,  let  us  have  something  about  your  European  trip.  We  and  the 
public  will  be  glad ;  when,  and  as  you  please.  Your  reply  on  the -Boards, 
(which  should  cover  the  whole  ground,  nearly  all  which  is  given  up  in 
the  long  review  of  your  article,)  should  be  in  time  for  our  spring  Pres 
byteries.  By  the  way,  there  is  a  deep  and  wide  feeling  growing  up  in 
our  Church ;  and  there  must  be,  and  will  be,  a  change  in  our  mode  of 
conducting  benevolent  operations.  The  review  rather  confirms  me 
in  my  former  opinions.  The  writer  seems  to  consider  the  brief  and 
annual  meetings  of  the  Assembly  conclusive  against  its  doing  its  work 


228  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOENWELL. 

personally.  Bui  besides  the  clear  distinction  between  a  small,  stand 
ing,  and  responsible  Committee,  and  a  large,  permanent,  ill-constitutedr 
and  virtually  irresponsible  Board,  what  should  forbid  the  Assembly  it 
self,  or  a  commission  of  it,  to  meet  as  often,  by  adjournment,  as  our 
Boards  do  ?  none  of  which  meet  oftener  than  monthly ;  one,  at  least 
(the  Foreign  one,)  only  yearly  ;  and  as  fourteen  commissioners,  by  our 
constitution,  make  an  Assembly,  (and,  in  point  of  fact,  not  so  many  as 
fourteen  persons  regularly  attend  our  Boards,)  the  argument  is  for  us, 
and  not  for  the  reviewer.  Excuse  this.  God  bless  you. 

"In  much  haste  and  much  esteem,  yours  ever, 

R.  J.  BRECKINKIDGE." 

Three  letters  from  Dr.  Thornwell  follow  in  quick  suc 
cession,  on  the  same  subject,  and  addressed  to  Dr.  Breck- 
inridge : 

"SOUTH  CAEOLINA  COLLEGE,  January  17,  1842. 

"Mr  DEAB  BEOTHEB:  I  am  sorry  that  my  reply  to  Smyth's  review 
will  not  be  ready  for  the  next  number  of  your  Magazine.  I  shall  com 
mence  writing  it  to-morrow,  and  shall  easily  finish  it  in  a  week  ;  so  that 
you  will  receive  it  early  next  month.  You  may  think  me  very  slow  in 
my  motions  ;  but  I  have  been  waiting  for  some  books  which  I  purchased 
in  Europe,  and  which  I  have  been  expecting  every  day.  They  have  not 
yet  arrived ;  and  wind  and  tide  are  so  uncertain,  that  I  do  not  know 
when  they  will  arrive.  Some  passages  in  the  review  have  filled  me 
with  grief  and  amazement,  and  show  but  too  plainly  that  the  first  prin 
ciples  of  ecclesiastical  polity  are  not  clearly  understood  among  us.  The 
fundamental  fallacy  of  the  whole  production,  and  of  the  system  which 
it  is  designed  to  uphold,  is  that  the  Church,  instead  of  being  the  king 
dom  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is  really  one  of  His  counsellors  and  His 
confidential  agent.  This  rotten  principle  is  the  basis  of  the  whole  fabric 
of  discretionary  power,  and  the  multitude  of  inventions  which  have 
sprung  from  human  prudence.  But  I  have  no  idea  of  troubling  you 
with  an  argument  here,  of  which  you  will  have  enough  in  due  time. 
I  am  satisfied  that  what  of  all  things  we  need  most,  is  a  revival  of  pure 
religion  in  all  our  churches.  The  cause  of  Missions  lags,  and  all  our 
interests  decay,  because  the  Spirit  of  Life,  to  a  mournful  extent,  is  with 
drawn  from  our  congregations.  The  Church  has  almost  dwindled  down 
into  a  secular  corporation ;  and  the  principles  of  this  world,  a  mere  car 
nal  policy,  which  we  have  nick-named  prudence,  presides  in  our  councils. 
Uutil  she  becomes  a  spiritual  body,  and  aims  at  spiritual  ends  by  ap 
pointed  means,  and  makes  faith  in  God  the  impulsive  cause  of  her 
efforts,  our  Zion  can  never  arise  and  shine,  and  become  a  joy  and  a 
praise  in  the  whole  earth.  It  is  my  fervent  prayer  that  God  would  bless 
us,  and  that  right  early.  I  am  satisfied  that  our  Church  has  a  noble  des 
tiny  to  accomplish.  With  all  her  defects,  I  believe  her  to  be  the  purest 
Church  on  earth ;  and  as  I  am  fully  persuaded  that  our  beloved  country 


THE  BOARD  QUESTION.  229 

must  take  the  lead,  and  that  at  no  distant  period,  in  the  civilization  of 
the  world,  I  would  fain  hope,  that  the  purest  Church  in  our  land  will  be 
particularly  prominent  in  sending  forth  the  waters  of  salvation,  to  glad 
den  and  fertilize. the  earth.  Hence,  I  am  earnestly  desirous  that  she 
should  be  furnished  for  the  enterprise  to  which  I  believe  her  to  be 
called.  ****** 

"  You  ask  me  to  give  some  account  of  my  excursion  abroad.  You  will 
laugh  when  I  tell  you,  that  the  notes  which  I  took  have  never  been  writ 
ten  out,  nor  reduced  to  any  kind  of  order.  These  are  mere  memoranda, 
made  for  my  own  satisfaction,  and  not  worth  publishing.  Still,  I  would 
cheerfully  comply  with  your  request,  if  I  had  the  leisure  to  write  them 
out ;  but  in  addition  to  two  sermons  every  Sunday,  I  am  preparing  lectures 
on  Natural  Theology,  and  certain  branches  of  Christian  Evidences,  and 
a  series  of  discourses  on  the  Inspiration  of  the  Scriptures.  These  la 
bours  are  as  much  as  a  feeble  body  can  sustain.  Your  kind  letters  were 
of  great  service  to  me,  particularly  in  Glasgow.  I  left  there  your  reply 
to  Wardlaw,  and  would  have  had  it  published,  if  Dr.  Mitchel  had  not 
dissuaded  me  from  it.  In  the  hope,  and  with  the  earnest  prayer,  that 
God  may  be  with  you,  and  abundantly  bless  you,  I  am 
11  Your  sincere  friend, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

"SOUTH  CAEOLINA  COLLEGE,  February  7,  1842. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  send  you  my  reply  to  Smyth.  I  am  sorry 
that  I  have  been  obliged  to  confine  myself  to  a  mere  reply  to  his  argu 
ment.  I  should  have  liked  to  enter  into  a  full  and  positive  vindication 
of  my  own  principles,  but  my  article  would  have  been  too  outrageously 
protracted.  I  hope  I  have  said  nothing  offensive  or  unchristian.  If  I 
have,  please  strike  it  out.  I  have  been  obliged  to  write  in  mere  scraps  of 
time,  and  therefore  have  indulged  in  repetition,  which  would  be  corrected 
if  I  had  time  to  copy.  I  wish  you  would  take  up  Boards  on  the  ground  of 
experience,  and  show  how  little  they  have  really  accomplished.  I  have 
not  the  details  which  are  necessary  for  an  argument  of  this  sort.  The 
thought  has  occurred  to  me,  that  the  next  General  Assembly  ought  to  ap 
point  a  committee,  to  take  the  whole  question  of  Boards  into  considera 
tion,  and  report  to  the  succeeding  Assembly.  Let  the  committee  con 
sist  of  men  on  both  sides,  and  let  two  reports  go  up,  bringing  the  whole 
matter  fully  before  the  body.  Something  must  be  done.  I  trust  my  ar 
ticle  may  be  in  time  for  the  March  number. 

"In  great  haste,  I  am  your  sincere  friend  and  brother, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  February  23,  1842. 
"MY  DEAR  BROTHER:  I  received  your  letter  this  morning,  acknow 
ledging  the  receipt  of  my  manuscript,  and  of  the  letter  which  succeeded 
it.     In  regard  to  a  central  agency,  I  have  expressed  no  opinion,  because 
my  object  has  chiefly  been  to  awaken  our  Presbyteries  to  a  proper  sense 


230  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

of  their  own  responsibilities.  Whenever  they  shall  undertake,  in  good 
earnest,  the  work  of  the  Lord,  in  conformity  with  the  spirit  of  our  sys 
tem,  the  details  of  their  plans  will  not  be  found,  I  apprehend,  very  hard 
to  settle.  On  the  present  plan,  our  churches  are  not  reached ;  the  whole 
body  is  not,  and  cannot  be  engaged  as  one  man ;  the  principles  of  our 
polity,  by  which  we  are  bound  together  and  united  into  one  body,  are  set 
aside ;  and  we  are  evidently  proceeding  in  a  method  suited  only  to  the 
lame  and  crippled  constitution  of  the  Independents.  This  clumsy  me 
thod  I  wish  to  see  abandoned ;  I  want  our  distinctive  principles  clearly 
brought  out ;  and  I  am  very  indifferent  as  to  the  details  by  which  this 
inay  be  done,  so  that  it  is  effectually  done.  If  a  central  agency  can  be 
suggested,  which  shall  give  us  a  proper  security  against  error  and  abuse, 
and  interfere  with  the  regular  operations  of  no  part  of  our  system,  I 
shall  have  not  a  word  to  say  against  it. 

"I  deplore  bitterly  that  our  ecclesiastical  courts,  to  such  a  mournful 
extent,  have  ceased  to  be  spiritual  bodies,  and  degenerated  into  hewers 
of  wood  and  drawers  of  water.  Our  business  is,  for  the  most  part, 
purely  secular ;  and  when  we  have  nothing  of  this  sort  to  engage  our  at 
tention,  we  are  apt  to  complain  that  we  have  no  business ;  are  impatient 
to  adjourn  and  return  home  ;  though  a  world  is  lying  in  wickedness,  and 
millions  are  perishing  daily  for  lack  of  knowledge.  Our  courts  must  be 
roused  up  to  a  just  sense  of  their  true  relation  to  our  dying  race  ;  they  must 
be  brought  to  feel  the  spiritual  nature  of  their  vocation,  and  to  appre 
ciate  the  work  which  they  are  required  to  do  in  the  vineyard  of  the 
Lord.  This  deplorable  state  of  things  the  Boards  have  a  tendency  to 
engender  and  perpetuate.  And  on  this  account,  apart  from  all  other 
considerations,  I  must  regard  them  as  an  incubus  upon  the  body.  But 
when  you  combine  with  their  dangerous  results  their  unsoundness  of 
principle,  I  cannot  see  how  any  true  hearted  Presbyterian  can  give  them 
his  sanction.  I  must  again  urge  you  to  expose,  more  fully  than  yon 
have  done,  their  inefficiency.  Do  join  issue  with  their  advocates,  upon 
the  plain  matter  of  fact,  and  show  that  they  have  not  accomplished  what 
they  were  established  to  do  ;  that,  in  sober  truth,  they  are  an  utter  failure, 
as  agents  of  the  Church.  This  you  can  do,  and  I  cannot.  I  have  not  the 
facts ;  and  a  method  of  reasoning  like  this  would  be  ten-fold  more  effective 
than  all  the  abstract  arguments  that  could  be  produced  from  now  till 
dooms-day.  It  would  absolutely  demolish  them  ;  for  they  stand  only  by 
creating  the "  impression  that  the  Church  can,  by  no  manner  of  means, 
get  along  without  them. 

"Your  Magazine  will  soon  become  the  favourite  periodical  of  this 
part  of  the  Church,  You  have  only  to  be  as  diligent,  faithful,  and  un 
compromising  as  heretofore,  and  the  Lord  will  richly  and  abundantly 
bless  you  and  your  labours.  I  cannot  better  express  to  you  my  .sense 
of  the  value  and  importance  of  your  labours,  than  by  mentioning  to  you 
a  fact,  which  I  do  simply  to  encourage  you.  During  my  absence  from 
home,  when  tossed  upon  the  ocean,  and  wandering  in  a  foreign  land,  I 
do  not  know  that  I  ever  bowed  my  knees  to  the  God  and  Father  of  our 


THE   HOARD   QUESTION.  231 

Lord  Jesus  Christ  without  specially  remembering  you.  I  sometimes 
had  reason  to  think  that  I  was  very  near  the  eternal  world ;  and  as  I 
thought  myself  approaching  the  Church  above,  I  felt  a  deeper  interest 
in  the  Church  below ;  and  loved  to  pour  out  my  heart  before  God  in 
regard  to  its  faithful  and  tried  servants.  The  children  of  God,  how 
widely  soever  separated,  form  but  one  family  ;  their  hearts  and  sympa 
thies  are  one,  their  aims  are  one,  and  their  home  shall  finally  be  the 
same. 

"lam  very  busily  engaged  in  preparing  my  course  of  lectures  on 
Natural  Theology.  I  remember  that  we  had  a  conversation  on  Paley's 
argument,  in  Baltimore ;  but  I  am  not  sure  that  I  am  master  of  the 
process  of  reasoning  by  which  you  made  him  prove  an  indefinite  num 
ber  of  gods.  I  should  be  glad  that  you  should  state  it  in  your  next 
letter.  By  the  first  private  hand,  I  will  send  you  an  article,  which 
comprises  the  substance  of  my  first  sermon  here  as  chaplain.  I  think  it 
suited  to  the  design  of  your  paper,  and  I  hope  it  is  calculated  to  do  good. 
You  need  not  be  afraid  that  I  intend  to  flood  you  with  my  lucubrations ; 
I  shall  probably  not  trouble  you  in  this  way  very  often.  I  am  very 
busily  engaged,  just  now,  upon  my  lectures.  *  *  *  * 
"  Your  sincere  friend  and  brother, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL.  " 


CHAPTEK   XVII. 
GENERAL  CORRESPONDENCE. 

VIEWS  UPON  FRENCH  CHARACTER.  —  KELATIONS  WITH  DR.  BRECKINRIDOE. — 
LETTERS  or  CHRISTIAN  SYMPATHY. — PROPOSED  WORK  ON  THE  ATONE 
MENT. —CONTROVERSY  WITH  ROMANISTS. — DEATH  OF  MB.  BOBBINS.— 
LETTER  TO  HIS  WIDOW. 

HIS  own  experience  of  the  benefit  of  a  sea  trip  induced 
him,  after  his  return  from  Europe,  to  urge  the  ex 
periment  upon  Mr.  Bobbins,  whose  failing  health  gave 
tokens  of  the  fatal  disease  which  finally  terminated  his 
life.  In  terms  of  strong  affection,  begotten  of  the  old 
relations  when  Mr.  Bobbins  stood  to  him  as  a  second 
father,  he  pleads  with  this  gentleman  to  "  flee  for  his  life, 
not  to  the  plains,  but  to  the  sea."  The  voyage  was 
eventually  undertaken;  and  in  a  letter  addressed  to  him 
in  Paris,  dated  the  27th  August,  1842,  this  paragraph 
occurs,  in  which  his  views  are  expressed  as  to  the  political 
prospects  of  France : 

"Your  items  of  French  news  were  quite  interesting.  There  are  evi 
dently  three  parties  in  that  beautiful  but  unsettled  country,  which  God 
seems  to  have  made  a  striking  example  of  the  weakness,  ignorance,  and 
folly  of  man ;  and  which  of  these  parties  will  ultimately  prevail,  it  is 
hard  to  determine.  The  old  Bourbon  dynasty  still  has  strong  friends, 
the  present  royal  family  has  its  own  alliances,  and  republicanism  is  still 
a  golden  vision  to  the  minds  of  multitudes  of  the  French  people.  Liberty 
and  Protestantism  are  the  only  things,  in  my  poor  judgment,  which  can 
give  dignity  and  stability  to  the  French  character." 

It  is  curious  to  read  these  lines,  written  two  and  thirty 
years  ago,  and  to  record  their  exact  application  to  the 
same  terms  which  enter  into  the  French  problem  after 
the  lapse  of  an  entire  generation. 

233 


234:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

On  the  same  day  in  which  these  words  are  mailed  to 
Paris,  a  similar  expression  is  directed  to  his  correspondent 
at  Baltimore : 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  August  27,  1842. 

' '  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  had  hoped  to  see  you  this  summer,  but  have 
been  prevented  from  going  northward  by  the  circumstances  of  my 
family.  Mrs.  Thornwell  has  recently  lost  her  father,  and  she  could  not 
bear  the  thought  of  being  left  alone  ;  neither  could  I  reconcile  it  with  my 
own  feelings  to  be  separated  from  her,  when  her  spirit  was  bowed  down 
with  affliction. 

"  The  two  letters  which  you  were  kind  enough  to  enclose  to  me,  I  read 
with  great  interest,  and  shall  return  them  by  the  first  safe  opportunity. 
The  condition  of  France  at  this  time  is  particularly  interesting.  Liberty 
and  Protestantism  are  the  only  things  which  can  give  dignity,  stability, 
and  real  glory  to  the  French  people.  As  long  as  they  continue  to  be 
cursed  with  Popery,  their  efforts  to  establish  free  institutions  must  be 
abortive.  Protestantism  would  redeem  them  from  their  national  in 
firmities,  and  make  them  truly  great.  They  have  the  elements  of  a  noble- 
character;  but  their  atheism,  idolatry,  and  philosophy,  prevent  them 
from  being  developed.  I  know  of  no  event  more  devoutly  to  be  hoped 
for  than  the  thorough  evangelization  of  that  beautiful  portion  of  the 
globe.  D'Aubigne's  work,  the  'History  of  the  Reformation,'  I  do  not 
possess  in  the  original,  but  have  sent  for  it.  I  have  read  it  in  the  trans 
lation  with  great  interest.  It  may  be  taken  as  a  specimen  of  what  the 
French  mind  is  capable  of  achieving  when  properly  directed.  *  * 

"I  wish  you  would,  at  your  leisure,  suggest  to  me  such  thoughts  as 
have  occurred  to  yoTir  mind  on  the  question  of  the  "  existence  of  God." 
I  would  like  particularly  to  have  your  view  of  Clarke's  argument.  I  call 
it  Clarke's,  not  because  it  was  original  with  him,  (I  have  found  it  in  the 
schoolmen,)  but  because  he  has  most  elaborately  unfolded  it.  I  know 
that  you  have  reflected  maturely  upon  it,  and  can  suggest  some  valuable 
hints.  This  winter  I  shall  write  my  Lectures  (at  least  some  of  them)  out, 
having  collected  most  of  my  materials.  You  are  right  in  supposing  that 
a  good  book  on  the  'Being,  etc.,  of  God,'  is  needed;  but  one  which  is 
much  more  needed  is  a  judicious  and  learned  treatise  on  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  only  works,  in  English,  upon  the  subject,  of  any  value,  are  those  of 
Owen,  Ridley,  and  Heber.  Owen's  style  is  bad,  and  his  plan  was  not 
sufficiently  extensive.  The  history  of  theological  opinion  upon  the  sub 
ject  ought  to  have  been  given,  together  with  the  doctrine  of  Divine 
influences  as  held  among  the  heathens.  Heber's  work  I  regard  as  mis 
taking  the  meaning  of  our  Saviour's  promise,  and  as  entirely  too  low  in 
its  view  of  spiritual  religion.  Ridley's  book  I  have  not  yet  read.  There 
ought  to  be  a  masterly  work  on  the  Spirit. 

"Yours,  etc.,  J.  H.  T." 


GENERAL  CORRESPONDENCE.  23(> 

The  reader  will  demand  no  apology  from  us  for  putting 
side  by  side  the  letters  of  two  such  men  as  Drs.  Breckin- 
ridge  and  Thornwell.  Apart  from  the  fact  that  they 
belong  together,  and  that  either  would  be  incomplete 
without  the  other,  it  is  rare  that  Providence  throws  two 
minds  so  richly  gifted  into  close  companionship.  It  is 
beautiful  to  see  how  they  laboured  together  in  the  propa 
gation  of  similar  views,  and  that  no  spark  of  rivalry  or 
jealousy  was  ever  struck  out  by  their  contact  with  each 
other.  They  were  both  of  them  too  pre-eminently  great, 
in  their  respective  spheres,  to  be  affected  by  this  infirmity 
of  smaller  minds.  The  two  letters  now  to  be  given  have 
an  inexpressible  tenderness  and  pathos  in  their  tone, 
which  will  amply  repay  perusal.  The  first  is  from  Dr. 
Breckinridge : 

"BALTIMORE,  October  17,  1842. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  find,  on  my  return  to  this  city,  after  an  absence 
of  six  weeks,  your  letter  of  27th  August,  which  must  have  arrived 
soon  after  my  departure.  I  have  been  to  Kentucky,  and  rapidly  through 
other  portions  of  the  West,  and  return  to  my  post  to  take  the  harness 
and  the  chain  again.  My  appropriate  work,  my  duties  as  a  minister  of 
the  gospel,  are  full  of  sweetness  to  my  soul ;  but  this  everlasting 
wrangle,  and  correction  of  proof-sheets,  and  devouring  trash,  this  is  mur 
derous  to  me.  My  life  is  hastening  away  without  fruit.  An  inexpressible 
restlessness  of  mind  and  heart  often  takes  possession  of  me ;  and  I  feel 
like  one  condemned,  for  having  not  only  done  nothing,  but  attempted 
nothing,  worthy  of  my  Master  or  my  age.  I  am  sure  I  am  capable  of 
better  things ;  would  to  God  I  had  the  space  and  opportunity  of  trying. 
This  much  I  can  do ;  I  can  beseech  those  who  are  able  to  guide  the  mind 
of  this  age  and  the  next,  to  nerve  up  themselves  to  the  work.  Our 
spirits  are  often  gifted  with  intuitive  knowledge  of  what  other  men 
are,  and  can  do.  My  dear  brother,  you  must  do  great  things,  or  you 
must  give  a  great  account ;  and  you  must  do  it  soon,  for  the  blade  is  too 
sharp  for  the  scabbard ;  and  men  like  you  rarely  live  to  be  old.  Con 
centrate  yoxir  powers,  then,  and  produce  a  great  work,  a  monument  of 
our  principles,  our  hopes,  our  struggles,  our  Church,  our  age.  Your 
mind  has  been  directed  to  a  channel  which  few  are  able  to  explore  :  a 
work  on  the  Godhead,  the  God  of  the  Bible,  that  Jehovah  who  is  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghost.  Write  such  a  book ;  you  alone  are  capable,  of 
all  the  men  I  have  known,  of  doing  this,  by  God's  help,  as  it  should 
be  done.  I  say  this  in  profound  conviction,  and  to  make  you  feel  how 
much  it  is  your  duty  to  do  this  thing ;  and  I  feel*  as  if  I  should  promote 


236        LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

the  cause  of  God,  and  human  nature,  more  effectually,  by  urging  you 
forward  to  such  an  undertaking,  than  by  living  almost  a  double  life-time. 

"If  you  can  devote  two  or  three  days  to  the  labour  of  throwing  to 
gether  the  results  of  your  thoughts  and  reading  on  geology  for  our 
pages,  it  will  be  a  very  great  service  done  to  the  public,  and  a  favour 
to  me.  You  will  find  in  one  of  my  numbers,  about  three  years  ago,  a 
very  able  philological  article,  by  Horwitz,  the  Jew,  on  the  questions 
arising  upon  the  Mosaic  cosmogony.  My  knowledge  of  the  subject  (of 
geology)  is  general,  and  by  no  means  accurate  ;  but  my  decided  convic 
tion  is,  that  the  whole  matter  is  in  an  exceedingly  crude  state,  and  is 
receiving  a  decidedly  wrong  impression.  *  *  *  * 

"  It  is  of  the  last  moment  that  the  regular  action  of  our  system  should 
be  restored,  and  all  the  temporary  contrivances  into  which  we  have 
fallen  be  laid  aside  ;  and  with  them  all  those  irregular  and  dangerous 
influences  which  have  grown  up  with  them,  and  for  the  sake  of  which 
they  are  so  stiffly  defended.  God  is  bringing  all  this  about,  steadily 
and  surely.  Let  iis  take  courage,  and  be  patient.  'Cunctando  restituit,' 
was  the  motto  of  the  Massini  family,  that  has  lived  the  longest  and  done 
the  most  of  all  the  private  families  amongst  men.  God  counts  not  slack 
ness  as  some  men  count  slackness ;  human  wisdom  and  divine  faith 
agree  for  once.  Let  me  hear  from  you  soon ;  and  let-  me  have  an  in 
terest  in  your  prayers. 

"With  true  regard,  ever  and  faithfully  yours, 

Ro.  J.  BRECKINRIDGE." 

The  reply  to  this  letter  is  dated : 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  October  25,  1842. 

"My  DEAB  BROTHER  :  I  am  sorry  to  learn  that  you  suffer  yourself  to 
be  dejected  by  occasional  reflections,  founded  on  what  I  conceive  to  be 
a  great  mistake.  Your  observation  has  taught  you  that,  among  the  lights 
of  our  world,  there  are  two  classes  of  men,  each  eminently  useful,  and 
each  largely  entitled  to  the  gratitude  and  benedictions  of  the  race.  One 
class  embraces  those  whose  lives  are  spent  in  retirement ;  who  are  un 
known  to  their  contemporaries  ;  who  exert  no  influence  upon  existing 
generations ;  but  who  are  enabled,  by  God's  blessing,  to  leave  behind 
them  a  valuable  legacy  for  those  who  come  after  them.  These  men  live 
in  the  future ;  they  are  as  dead,  in  their  own  day ;  and  enjoy  only  that 
'  life  beyond  lif e,  which  is  embalmed  and  treasured  up  in  a  good  book. ' 
Their  books  are  all  of  themselves  that  the  world  knows  or  feels ;  they  act 
upon  mankind  only  through  these  precious  representatives.  There  is 
another  class,  of  those  whose  influence  is  felt  in  their  own  day ;  who 
shape  the  destiny  of  their  age ;  who  act  through  themselves,  and 
impress  their  life,  and  spirit,  and  energy,  upon  the  mass  of  their 
fellow-men.  These  are  the  lights,  the  guardians,  and  ornaments  of 
their  own  times  ;  they^make  the  age  what  it  is ;  and  it  is  through  their 
influence  that  post3rity  recaives  a  glorious  birthrig  t.  If  they  should 


GENERAL  CORRESPONDENCE.  237 

never  .pen  a  line  to  reach  distant  generations,  their  image  is  impressed 
\ipon  history ;  and  the  memory  of  their  actions  and  living  speeches,  their 
personal  efforts  and  noble  sacrifices,  will  always  live,  and  secure  them  the 
love,  admiration,  and  gratitude  of  the  truly  great  and  good.  They  are 
the  most  illustrious  benefactors  of  their  race ;  eminent  instruments,  in 
the  hand  of  God,  of  bestowing  blessings  on  mankind.  Now,  I  speak  in 
the  deepest  sincerity  when  I  assert  that,  if  every  production  of  your  pen 
should  perish,  the  influence  which  you  have  been  able  to  exert  upon 
your  age  would  still  be  written  in  such  characters,  that  it  could  not  fail  to 
be  read  and  appreciated  in  coming  generations.  You  have  not  pro 
duced,  it  may  be,  a  standard  work  on  divinity  or  morals ;  but  you  have 
done  something  better  and  more  glorious :  you  have  moulded  the  char 
acter  of  the  present  times.  Your  name  is  identified  with  the  progress 
and  prosperity  of  the  cause  of  religion,  humanity,  and  liberty.  Your 
noblest  monument  is  the  impression  you  have  made  upon  your  own 
tunes.  Why,  then,  should  you  despond?  God  has  eminently  blessed 
you.  He  has  enabled  you  to  do  what  no  man  living  has  done,  or  can  do. 
The  result  of  your  labours  will  be  felt  and  rejoiced  in,  when  you  are 
slumbering  in  the  tomb.  The  ball,  which  you  have  set  in  motion,  will 
continue  to  roll,  long  after  the  hand  which  first  touched  it  shall  be 
withered  in  death.  I  am  afraid,  however,  that  I  belong  to  neither  of  the 
classes  to  which  allusion  has  been  made.  I  have  done  but  little  for  the 
present  times,  and  there  is  but  little  pi'ospect  that  I  shall  ever  be  known 
to  other  generations.  I  have  an  aversion  from  writing,  which  makes  it 
an  intolerable  burden.  I  have  formed  many  a  fine  scheme,  but  find  it 
almost  impossible  to  overcome  my  mortal  dislike  to  the  pen.  I  can 
hardly  bear  to  read  anything  that  I  have  written.  It  fills  me  with  loath 
ing  and  disgust.  I  fall  so  immeasurably  short  of  my  own  conceptions  of 
excellence,  that  I  become  disheartened  and  chagrined.  It  is  an  infirmity 
which  I  lament,  and  from  which  I  would  be  gladly  delivered ;  but  it 
binds  me  in  fetters  of  brass,  and  paralyzes  all  my  efforts.  I  am  afraid, 
therefore,  that  I  shall  never  produce  anything  beyond  such  occasional 
lucubrations  as  involve  no  responsibility  except  to  truth ;  which  can  be 
thrown  off  at  a  dash,  and  abandoned,  like  the  eggs  of  the  ostrich,  by  the 
parent  that  brought  them  forth.  You  may  judge  how  deeply  this  feeling 
has  possession  of  my  mind,  when  I  assure  you  that  I  have  not  a  single 
copy  of  a  single  article  I  ever  wrote,  with  one  exception.  I  sometimes 
feel  that  I  might  produce  something  that  should  live.  But  when  I  under 
take  to  carry  out  any  plan,  I  become  sickened  at  my  efforts.  Still,  I  feel 
bound  to  endeavour  to  mortify  this  sickly  sensibility. 

' '  I  had  many  other  things  to  say,  but  my  paper  is  exhausted.    Let  me 
hear  from  you  soon. 

"Your  sincere  friend  and  brother, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

The  reader  who  i§  acquainted  with  the  after  history  of 
these  two  remarkable  men,  will  doubtless  smile  at  the  sym- 


238  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

pathy  expressed  in  this  letter  to  the  one,  and  the  confes 
sion  which  is  made  by  the  other.  It  pleased  God,  in  His 
adorable  providence,  to  place  them  in  similar  positions, 
as  teachers  of  divinity  to  £he  rising  ministry  in  the  Church; 
and  both,  under  the  pressure  of  that  position,  were  stimu 
lated  to  produce  "  Standard  Works  on  Divinity,"  which, 
with  that  wrought  out  in  the  Princeton  school,  and  re 
cently  given  to  the  world,  are  grand  representatives  of 
the  theology  of  this  age ;  and  are,  perhaps,  as  noble  con 
tributions  to  the  science  of  theology  as  any  age  has  been 
permitted  to  make. 

We  do  not  regret  the  necessity  of  interrupting  this 
correspondence  upon  the  Church  questions  of  the  day,  by 
interposing  a  few  letters  of  Christian  condolence  addressed 
to  the  children  of  sorrow.  The  first  is  written  to  Mrs. 
Ann  B.  Crawford,  a  "mother  in  Israel,"  of  the  Lancaster 
church,  to  whom  he  was  warmly  attached.  It  is  not  only 
full  of  tenderness,  but  rich  in  suggestions  of  scriptural 
truth  : 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  September  19,  1842. 
"Mr  DEAR  AUNT  ANN:  I  need  not  say  that  the  sore  and  bitter  be 
reavement,  which  you  have  recently  sustained,  has  filled  me  with  the 
profoundest  sympathy.  As  I  know  that  you  are  not  a  stranger  to  the 
throne  of  grace,  nor  to  the  pleasures  which  flow  from  communion  with 
God,  I  cannot  but  hope,  that  this  solemn  visitation  will  be  improved  to 
increase  your  intimacy  with  that  'Friend  who  sticketh  closer  than  a 
brother,'  who  alone  can  dry  up  the  tears  of  sorrow,  and  give  us  'beauty 
for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for  mourning,  and  the  garment  of  praise  for  the 
spirit  of  heaviness,'  The  gospel  of  God  is  particularly  designed  for  the 
broken-hearted  and  afflicted ;  and  if  you  mark  the  footsteps  of  the  flock, 
you  will  find  that  they  all  lead  through  much  tribulation  to  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.  The  house  of  mourning  has  been  the  familiar  resort  of  ail 
the  saints.  The  great  Redeemer  Himself  was  a  '  man  of  sorrows,  and 
acquainted  with  grief,'  and  bedewed  His  path  to  glory  with  tears,  and 
sweat,  and  blood.  Think  not,  therefore,  that  some  strange  thing  has 
happened  to  you  ;  the  like  sufferings  have  been  accomplished  in  all  your 
brethren  before  you,  and  must  be  accomplished  in  all  who  would  reign 
with  Christ  for  ever.  Jacob  wept  for  his  beloved  Eachel,  and  David 
mourned  a  rebellious  son.  How  does  your  calamity  compare  with  that 
of  Aaron,  who  beheld  his  sons  consumed  with  fire  from  the  Lord,  in  the 
very  act  of  audacious  iniquity ;  and  yet  was  forbidden  to  uncover  his 


GENERAL  CORRESPONDENCE.  239 

.head,  to  rend  his  clothes,  or  give  any  visible  sign  of  grief  ?  '  Son  of 
man,'  says  Jehovah  to  Ezekiel,  '  behold,  I  take  away  from  thee  the  desire 
of  thine  eyes  with  a  stroke ;  yet  neither  shalt  thou  mourn  nor  weep, 
neither  shall  thy  tears  run  down;'  and  at  even  his  wife  died,  and  he 
forebore  to  cry,  and  made  no  mourning  for  the  dead.  You  are  not 
alone,  my  sister,  in  the  chamber  of  affliction.  You  are  where  Jesus 
was,  where  all  His  saints  have  been,  where  prophets,  martyrs,  and  apos 
tles  have  stood,  and  where,  in  the  issue,  you  will  find  it  a  privilege  to 
be.  It  is  God  that  deals  with  you ;  stand  still,  and  acknowledge  His 
hand.  He  is  your  Father ;  and  what  He  doeth,  though  you  know  not 
now,  you  shall  know  hereafter.  Though  clouds  and  darkness  are  around 
Him,  His  footsteps  in  the  sea,  and  His  paths  in  the  great  waters,  right 
eousness  and  truth  are  the  habitation  of  His  throne,  and  He  will  finally 
speak  peace  to  His  children.  He  who  reproved  kings  for  their  sakes 
will  assuredly  Himself  do  them  no  harm.  Fear  not,  therefore ;  the 
flame  shall  purify,  but  not  hurt.  Jesus  can  more  than  make  up  all 
your  earthly  losses.  He  can  turn  them  into  mercies  ;  and,  therefore, 
though  the  fig  tree  shall  not  blossom,  neither  shall  fruit  be  in  the  vine, 
yet,  like  the  prophet,  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  and  joy  in  the  God  of  your 
salvation.  Only  believe ;  and  as  He  said  to  the  weeping  sisters  of 
Lazarus,  so  He  says  to  you,  '  Thou  shalt  see  the  glory  of  the  Lord.' 

/'Perhaps,  my  sister,  your  greatest  distress  arises  from  uncertainty  con 
cerning  the  salvation  of  your  beloved  son.  You  feel  that  you  could  be 
comforted,  if  you  knew  that  he  was  safe ;  but  that  you  can  never  know. 
The  destinies  of  men  are  in  the  hands  of  God ;  and  it  is  enough  for  us 
to  know,  that  He  is  righteous  in  all  His  ways,  and  holy  in  all  His  works. 
When  your  mind  shall  be  more  enlarged,  and  your  heart  expanded  in 
love,  you  would  not  choose  to  alter  a  single  arrangement  of  the  Lord. 
If  you  could  see  the  end  from  the  beginning,  you  would  say  all  is  right. 
Oh !  then,  trust  God  in  the  dark.  All  opposition  to  His  government  is 
sin,  and  'every  wish  to  alter  the  appointments  of  His  wisdom  is  folly.' 
Your  business,  therefore,  in  this  and  every  other  dispensation,  is  to  put 
your  hand  upon  your  mouth,  and  keep  silence  before  Him.  'Be  still,' 
is  His  language,  '  and  know  that  I  am  God.'  Others  have  encountered 
more  trying  afflictions  than  yours.  You  are  only  uncertain  ;  but  Eli  had 
no  ground  to  hope  that  his  sous  were  saved,  but  every  ground  to  believe 
that  they  were  lost ;  and  yet  the  good  man  submitted  :  '  It  is  the  Lord ; 
let  Him  do  what  seemeth  Him  good.'  Absalom  was  slain  in  the  very 
act  of  atrocious  rebellion  ;  and  Nadab  and  Abihu  were  consumed  by 
.the  immediate  vengeance  of  God.  What  ingredient  of  bitterness  in 
your  calamity  can  be  'found  answerable  to  their's  ?  And  yet  Eli,  Da 
vid,  and  Aaron  were  the  special  friends  of  God.  Take  courage,  then, 
and  be  not  like  Rachel,  weeping  for  your  children,  and  refusing  to 
be  comforted,  because  they  are  not.  Take  courage,  and  do  your  duty 
to  the  living,  and  prepare  to  follow  the  dead.  Trim  your  lamp, 
gird  up  your  loins,  and  stand  ready  to  welcome  the  midnight  cry,  Be 
hold,  the  bridegroom  cometh  !  Let  the  conviction  of  your  own  mortality 


240  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

settle  upon  your  mind ;  look  away  from  earth ;  look  up  to  Heaven ;  de 
posit  your  treasures  where  neither  moth  nor  •  rust  can  corrupt,  nor 
thieves  break  through  and  steal.  Here  we  have  no  continuing  city.  '  All 
ranks  and  conditions  of  men  are  but  so  many  troops  of  pilgrims,  in  dif 
ferent  garbs,  toiling  through  the  same  vale  of  tears,  distinguished  only  by 
different  degrees  of  wretchedness.'  The  patriarchs  and  prophets  all 
confessed  that  they  were  strangers  on  earth  ;  here  they  had  no  home  ; 
but  they  sought  a  better  country ;  they  looked  by  faith  to  that  building 
of  God,  that  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens,  and 
there  they  expected  to  rest.  Let  us  follow  their  faith  and  patience,  and 
we  shall  receive  the  same  glorious  reward.  '  But  this,  I  say,  brethren, 
the  time  is  short ;  it  remaineth  that  both  they  that  have  wives,  be  as 
though  they  had  none  ;  and  they  that  weep,  as  though  they  wept  not ; 
and  they  that  rejoice,  as  though  they  rejoiced  not ;  and  they  that  buy, 
as  though  they  possessed  not ;  and  they  that  use  this  world,  as  not  abus 
ing  it ;  for  the  fashion  of  this  world  passeth  away.'  '  I  am,'  says  David, 
'a  stranger  with  thee,  and  a  sojourner,  as  all  my  fathers  were.'  Then, 
what  our  hands  find  to  do,  let  us  do  it  with  our  might ;  we  shall  soon 
go  hence,  never  to  return.  A  Christian  is  one  who  looks  for  the  second 
coming  of  his  Lord.  He  waits  for  it,  and  desires  it,  because  then  his 
sorrows  shall  be  over,  his  days  of  mourning  ended,  and  his  soul  at  rest 
for  ever.  Then,  my  sister,  be  heavenly-minded  ;  live  for  God,  for  im 
mortality,  for  eternity ;  and  your  light  afflictions,  which  are  but  for  a 
moment,  shall  work  out  for  you  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight 
of  glory, 

"I  would  earnestly  impress  upon  your  mind,  that  the  bitterest  of  all 
calamities  is  an  unsanctified  affliction.  In  His  providences,  God  is  teach 
ing  us ;  and  it  hardens  the  heart,  and  darkens  the  understanding,  when 
His  solemn  instructions  are  unheeded.  When,  therefore,  He  lifts  the 
rod,  and  takes  away,  with  a  stroke,  the  desire  of  our  eyes,  instead  of 
dwelling  upon  the  circumstances  of  our  bereavement,  and  tearing  open 
our  wounds  afresh,  by  calling  to  mind  the  endearing  associations  con 
nected  with  the  departed,  we  should  at  once  look  to  the  hand  that 
smites,  and  inquire  what  lessons  a  merciful  Father  designs  to  convey. 
Our  great  anxiety  should  be  improvement.  God  is  speaking  ;  and  our 
chief  business  should  be,  to  open  our  ears,  and  hear.  You  will  find 
yourself  greatly  tempted  to  think  of  your  son,  as  you  have  seen  him  in 
infancy,  in  boyhood,  in  youth ;  to  call  to  mind  his  proofs  of  affection, 
his  interesting  sayings,  his  promising  actions,  and  all  the  endearments 
which  silently,  secretly,  irresistibly  bind  a  mother  to  her  child;  and* 
every  recollection  will  send  a  pang  to  your  heart.  These  reminiscences, 
which  we  are  so  prone  to  cherish,  are  the  cruel  devices  of  a  self-tortur 
ing  heart.  Turn  away  from  them  to  God,  and  humbly  ask  your  Father 
why  He  has  smitten,  and  bow  your  head  and  worship.  Keceive  His  in 
structions  with  an  humble  spirit,  and  He  will  soon  bind  up  your  wounds, 
and  send  you  away,  though  'sorrowful,  yet  rejoicing.' 

"If  you  have  been  conscious  of  any  neglect  of  duty  towards  the  de- 


GENERAL  CORRESPONDENCE.  24:1 

parted,  repent ;  but  with  that  Godly  sorrow  which  flows  from  a  full 
conviction  that  God  will  freely  pardon.  Kepair  the  mistake  by  greater 
diligence  to  the  living ;  but  let  nothing  keep  you  from  the  pure  conso 
lations  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus.  In  your  present  situation,  religion  pro 
poses  to  you  her  sweetest  cordials.  You  can  understand  the  gospel 
now.  Affliction  has  revealed  to  you  the  vanity  of  man,  the  deceitful- 
ness  of  life,  the  certainty  of  death,  the  instability  of  all  sublunary  good  ; 
and  in  striking  contrast  presents  the  unchanging  perpetuity  of  an  un 
changing  state,  and  the  glories  which  await  the  child  of  faith.  You  can 
now  almost  advance  by  strides  towards  the  heavenly  kingdom.  And  if 
earth  is  rendered  less  pleasant,  Jesus  more  charming,  and  heaven  more 
desirable,  by  the  dark  providence  which  has  called  you  to  mourning, 
you  will  bless  God  through  all  eternity  for  His  chastising  rod. 

"  This  melancholy  event,  let  it  be  remembered,  speaks  not  only  to 
you,  but  to  all  your  household.  It  says  to  each  and  every  one  of  your 
family,  whether  bond  or  free,  You,  too,  must  die  ;  prepare  to  meet  your 
God !  "When  you  least  expect  it,  when  you  are  dreaming  of  many  days, 
and  pleasing  your  fancies  with  brilliant  prospects,  your  hopes  may  at 
once  be  crushed,  your  sun  go  down  at  noon,  and  your  golden  visions 
•wrapped  in  the  funeral  pall  and  shroud.  Oh!  that  the  warning  may 
reach  the  hearts  of  the  living.  Oh !  that  they  may  be  wise,  understand 
this,  and  consider  their  latter  end. 

"I  have  thus,  my  much  valued  friend,  endeavoured  to  direct  your 
mind,  now  softened  by  grief,  and  capable  of  receiving  permanent  im 
pressions,  to  such  meditations  as  I  thought  would  be  most  conducive  to 
your  good.  It  will  be  my  greatest  joy,  if  God  should  give  you  grace  to 
adorn  the  gospel,  as  you  walk  in  deep  waters  of  sorrow.  It  is  only  in 
affliction  that  the  real  greatness  of  Christianity  is  seen.  It  imparts  then 
a  moral  grandeur  to  the  character,  which  philosophy  cannot  compass, 
and  which  the  world  never  can  understand.  It  sustains,  elevates,  ennobles 
the  soul.  It  teaches  it  '  the  heavenly  science  of  gaining  by  losses,  and 
rising  by  depressions.'  The  saints  are  a  wonder  in  the  earth,  a  wonder 
to  angels,  and  a  wonder  to  themselves.  They  are  God's  chosen  portion, 
the  lot  of  His  inheritance  ;  and  this  is  enough  to  make  them  hold  up 
their  heads,  though  all  their  earthly  comforts  should  be  stripped  from 
them.  Their  main  portion — their  Father  in  heaven,  their  glorious  Ke- 
deemer — must  remain  for  ever.  Let  this,  my  sister,  be  yoiir  consolation. 
Death  has  robbed  you  of  nothing  you  shall  want  in  eternity.  Your  real 
inheritance  is  safe.  And  now,  that  the  God  of  all  grace  may  sanctify 
you  wholly,  and  do  exceedingly  abundantly  for  you  above  all  that  you 
are  able  to  ask  or  think,  is  the  sincere,  fervent,  and  heartfelt  prayer  of 
"Your  friend  and  fellow  Christian, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


A  similar  bereavement,  the  loss  of  a  son,  called  fortli 
a  like  sympathy  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Bobbins : 


242  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COI/LEGE,  November  17,  1842. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  need  not  express  to  you  my  profoundest  sympathies 
in  the  accumulated  afflictions  which  you  have  been  called  upon  to  en 
dure.  God  is  evidently  showing  that  he  sets  a  high  value  on  the  trial  of 
your  faith ;  and  His  grace  will  no  doubt  enable  you  to  pass  through  the 
furnace,  not  only  without  harm,  but  with  vast  accessions  to  your  spiritual 
stores.  That  your  trust  in  God  remained  unshaken  amid  your  severest 
tribulations,  and  that,  in  these  dark  hours,  when  nature  was  ready  to 
faint,  and  to  say  '  all  is  lost,'  you  were  able  to  cling  to  the  mercy-seat, 
is  to  me  a  matter  of  most  devout  thanksgiving,  and  an  evident  token  of 
the  presence,  power,  and  love  of  God's  Holy  Spirit.  I  should  only  mar 
the  instructions  of  the  blest  Comforter  within  you,  by  suggesting  con 
solatory  thoughts.  He  knows  your  frame,  and  He  will  lead  you  to  such 
truths  as  it  is  most  important  for  you  to  ponder.  Our  great  High  Priest 
sympathizes  with  us  in  all  our  sufferings.  He  knows  when  and  how  to 
console  us ;  and  the  methods  of  His  grace  will  always  be  found  to  be 
methods  of  wisdom.  You  may  be  well  assured  that  in  all  your  afflictions 
I  am  afflicted ;  and  my  dear  wife,  particularly,  feels  the  deepest  interest 
in  everything  that  concerns  you  and  yours.  It  is  a  great  comfort  to  me 
that  she  is  so  much  delighted,  as  she  is,  with  my  two  dearest  earthly 
friends,  yourself  and  the  General.  She  loves  you  both,  as  much  as  if  you 
were  members  of  her  own  father's  family.  ***** 
"  Yours  most  sincerely, 

J,  H.  THORNWELL." 

Other  labours  than  those  purely  controversial,  engaged 
Mr.  Thornwell's  thoughts.  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Robbing,  of 
date  February  14,  1843,  he  thus  writes  : 

"  I  am  preparing  a  course  of  sermons,  with  a  view  to  publication,  on 
that  great  and  glorious  theme,  the  Atonement.  I  have  already  preached 
three  of  them.  The  theme  is  rich  and  extensive.  Many  points,  which 
other  writers  have  slurred  over,  I  propose  to  bring  out  prominently ;  and 
difficulties,  which  have  been  rather  evaded  than  removed,  I  propose  to 
discuss  throughly  ;  at  least,  I  shall  attempt  it.  The  age  requires  a  good 
book  on  this  subject ;  and  if  God  shall  enable  me  to  produce  one,  I  shall 
regard  myself  as  singularly  favoured.  My  heart  is  much  set  upon  this 
enterprise.  My  greatest  perplexity  is  that  my  own  glory  should  form  so 
large  a  part  of  the  motives  which  induce  me  to  engage  in  the  under 
taking,  as  I  am  often  afraid  that  it  does.  Humility  I  find  to  be  the 
hardest  lesson  in  the  Christian  life.  I  experience  no  difficulty  in  de 
spising  riches,  pomp,  and  splendour  ;  but  the  love  of  fame  is  an  instinct 
which  was  born  with  me,  and  which  I  cherished  so  long,  that  it  gives  me 
many  a  bitter  pang,  now  that  I  perceive  its  folly  and  wickedness.  I  wish 
to  live  only  for  the  glory  of  God ;  but  self  is  a  powerful  idol. 

"  I  am  somewhat  at  a  loss  as  to  the  form  in  which  it  would  be  best  to 


GENERAL  CORRESPONDENCE.  24:3 

publish  my  work ;  whether  to  retain  the  form  of  sermons,  or  to  arrange 
my  materials  in  chapters  and  sections.  There  are  advantages  and  dis 
advantages  in  both  plans.  A  didactic  treatise  can  preserve  a  more  un 
broken  continuity  of  thought ;  but  sermons  can  have  more  fire  and  more 
pungency  of  practical  application.  The  characteristics  of  style  in  the 
form  of  sermons  would  be  better  adapted  to  the  mass  of  readers ;  the 
prospect  of  permanent  success  would  be  greater  in  an  unbroken  treatise. 
So  that  I  am  in  a  strait." 

In  a  later  epistle,  March  7th,  1843,  to  the  same  corre 
spondent,  he  thus  sketches  the  plan  of  his  book : 

"In  regard  to  my  contemplated  work  on  the  Atonement,  I  shall  take 
your  advice,  and  write  it  in  the  most  enduring  form.  My  plan  will  em 
brace,  first,  the  Nature  of  Atonement;  which  will  lead  to  an  exami 
nation  of  Socinian,  Pelagian,  and  Hopkinsian  views.  In  the  explanation 
of  its  nature,  its  necessity  will  be  sufficiently  exhibited  without  devoting 
a  special  head  to  that  department  of  the  subject.  Under  this  head,  the 
nature  of  God's  moral  government  will  be  fully  declared,  so  far  forth  as 
I  shall  be  enabled  to  do  it ;  and  of  course  the  origin  and  purpose  of 
sacrifices.  The  next  point  will  be  the  Efficacy  of  the  Atonement.  Here 
will  be  set  forth  the  Person  of  Christ,  the  Eternal  Covenant  between  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  the  Incarnation,  the  Federal  Headship,  the  Mystical 
Union,  etc.  The  third  general  division  will  embrace  the  Extent  of  the 
Atonement ;  the  last,  its  Grand  Results.  This  is  only  a  vague  outline ;  a 
mere  blazing  of  the  trees,  so  that  you  may  see  the  road.  God  grant  that  I 
may  make  the  way  of  salvation  plain  to  many  a  wanderer." 

Had  this  work  been  executed,  it  would  have  gone  far 
towards  supplying  a  sequel  to  his  "  Lectures  in  Theology," 
which  death  arrested  just  at  the  point  when  he  should 
have  entered  distinctively  upon  the  doctrines  of  grace  in 
the  scheme  of  redemption.  We  shall  discover  presently 
how  he  was  diverted  from  the  execution  of  his  purpose. 

The  next  letter  discloses  his  watchfulness  of  opportu 
nities  to  bring  the  gospel  personally  to  the  unconverted. 
It  is  addressed  to  his  kinsman  by  marriage,  Dr.  J.  J. 
Wardlaw,  at  the  time  not  a  professor  of  religion : 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  February  14,  1843. 
"  MY  DEAR  DOCTOR  :  I  have  been  threatening  to  write  to  you  for  some 
time  back,  but  procrastination  has  again  and  again  nipped  my  good  reso 
lutions.     I  am  truly  sorry  to  learn  that  your  venerable  pastor  is  no  more. 
He  was  a  man  whom  I  was  anxious  to  know  ;  and  had  promised  to  myself 


24:4:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

great  satisfaction  in  his  company  next  summer.  But  we  know  not  what 
a  day  or  an  hour  may  bring  forth.  I  sincerely  trust  that,  though  dead, 
he  will  long  continue  to  speak  to  you  all  in  the  savour  of  his  influence 
and  example.  It  is  a  solemn  thought,  that  you  must  meet  him  at  the 
judgment  bar,  and  give  an  account  of  the  effect  which  his  sermons, 
prayers,  warnings,  and  expostulations  have  had  upon  you.  May  God 
grant  that  you  and  your  dear  wife  may  be  prepared  to  give  it  with  joy, 
and  not  with  sorrow.  Nothing  would  afford  me  a  richer  or  purer  satis 
faction,  than  your  conversion  to  God ;  and  nothing,  be  assured,  ought 
to  be  more  earnestly  sought,  or  eagerly  desired  by  you,  than  those  true 
riches  which  neither  moth  nor  rust  can  corrupt,  nor  thieves  break 
through  and  steal.  ***** 

"Your  sincere  friend, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

The  correspondence  with  Dr.  Breckinridge,  of  course, 
reopens  Church  questions ;  those  which  immediately  fol 
low,  however,  not  so  directly  : 

"BALTIMOKE,  March  18,  1843. 

"  DEAR  BROTHER  THORNWELL  :  Many  cares,  and  sicknesses,  and  duties, 
have  made  me  let  slip  the  pleasant  duty  of  writing  to  you,  for  a  long 
time.  Indeed,  you  are  partly  in  fault ;  for  I  have  been  hoping  all  along 
to  hear  from  you  about  that  article  on  Geology,  which,  as  you  did  not 
refuse,  I  allowed  myself  to  hope  you  would  prepare.  If  you  can  have 
it  ready  to  send  on  by  some  of  your  Commissioners  to  the  approaching 
Assembly,  I  shall  be  under  a  new  obligation  to  you.  Unless,  indeed, 
you  will  be  a  member  of  that  body  yourself,  and  so  bring  it,  instead  of 
sending  it ;  which  I  should  rejoice  at  doubly ;  for,  besides  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  your  face  once  more,  there  are  many  and  important  questions 
which  will  come  before  the  Assembly,  in  the  decision  of  which  I  could 
heartily  wish  you  had  a  voice.  I  believe  our  Church  is  by  far  the  purest 
that  exists  ;  but  alas !  we  are  far  from  what  we  ought  to  be ;  and  a  very 
large  portion  of  our  leading  men  seem  far  from  believing  this.  Unless 
I  see  you  here,  I  know  not  that  I  shall  see  you  more,  till  we  meet  to 
gether  at  home ;  for  which  my  wasting  strength  admonishes  me  to  be  ever 
ready.  If  I  were  called  away,  it  would  be  a  joy  to  me  to  reflect  that  I 
left  you  behind  to  testify  for  the  true  truth  of  God.  ***** 

"  I  have  been  for  a  long  time  much  exercised  in  mind  in  regard  to  the 
distinctive  points  which  characterize  the  Millenarian  controversy ;  and 
have  come  pretty  fully  to  the  belief,  that  the  common  opinion  held  of 
late  years,  and,  indeed,  since  the  publication  of  Whitby's  views,  are  not 
sustained  by  the  word  of  God ;  and  although  I  cannot  call  myself  a 
Millenarian,  either  of  the  ancient  or  modern  school,  yet  I  suppose  the 
bulk  of  men,  who  distinguish  little,  would  call  me  so.  Upon  several 
points  my  convictions  are  clear ;  as,  for  example,  that  the  millenium  we 


<;KXERAL  CORRKSI-ONDKNCE.  245 

expect  will  not  be  produced  by  the  work  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  as  now 
operating  ;  but  by  some  new  dispensation  or  manifestation  of  the  '  Son 
of  Man,1  which  is  the  distinctive  title  and  appropriated  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  the  Word  incarnate,  and  now  glorified  ;  which  is  the  key  to  all  con 
sistent  expositions  of  those  scriptures  which  touch  the  siibject,  and  is  the 
question  which  draws  after  it  all  the  rest ;  though  this  fact  seems  not  be 
perceived,  and  therefore  the  contradiction  and  perplexity  which  men  ex 
hibit  on  the  whole  subject.  I  should  be  greatly  gratified  to  know  your 
mind  on  these  matters. 

"Farewell,  dear  brother.  Kemember  me  at  our  Father's  throne  of 
grace,  and  be  assured  of  the  sincerity  with  which 

"  I  am  ever  and  faithfully  yours, 

Ho.  J.  BRECKINRIDGE." 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEQE,  March  28,  1843. 

"My  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  received  your  truly  welcome  and  affectionate 
letter  last  night,  and  shall  give  you  the  best  demonstration  of  my  esteem 
by  proceeding  to  answer  it  at  once.  I  am  sorry  that  I  did  not  know  you 
were  expecting  from  me  an  article  on  Geology.  I  should  either  have 
undeceived  you,  or  gratified  your  wish.  For  reasons  which  I  am  about 
to  name,  it  will  be  impracticable  for  me  to  do  so  now.  I  have  more  on 
my  hands  than,  I  am  afraid,  I  shall  be  able  to  accomplish.  I  have  got 
into  a  war  with  the  Romanists.  The  article  on  the  Apocrypha,  which, 
you  may  remember,  I  wrote  at  your  request,  has  been  recently  re- 
published  by  Mr.  Weir,  in  his  newspaper  here.  Without  informing  me 
of  his  intention,  until  the  proof-sheets  had  passed  through  the  press,  he 
appended  my  name  to  the  piece.  The  consequence  is,  that  a  writer  in 
the  United  States  Catholic  Miscellany,  of  Charleston,  has  commenced  a 
series  of  articles,  directed  personally  to  me,  which  I  feel  bound  to  notice. 
He  is  a  weak  scribbler ;  and  unless  he  has  strong  friends,  concealed  be 
hind  the  curtains,  he  will  not  be  difficult  of  conquest.  There  was  much 
craft,  however,  in  their  seizing  upon  me  as  their  object  of  assault.  They, 
no  doubt,  supposed  that  my  public  position,  as  an  officer  of  the  State, 
would,  in  some  measure,  muzzle  me ;  they  presumed  that  I  would  feel  a 
delicacy  in  exposing  freely  the  enormities  of  any  portion  of  the  citizens, 
whose  taxes  go  to  my  support ;  or  that,  if  I  did  not  act  from  these  selfish 
considerations,  they  would  raise  a  clamour  against  me  in  the  community, 
which  would  compel  me  to  retire  from  the  College.  These  are  my  sus 
picions  of  their  motives.  I  know  their  craft  so  well,  that  I  do  not  con 
sider  it  ungenerous  to  suspect  them  of  any  meanness.  Why  else  the 
personal  address?  Was  it  not  as  easy  simply  to  review  the  article,  as  a 
production  of  mine.  My  mind  is  made  up.  I  shall  accept  the  challenge. 
If  a  clamour  is  raised,  I  shall  distinctly  make  the  issue  whether  this  is  a 
Protestant  institution  or  not  ?  If  there  should  be  any  disapprobation  of 
my  course  among  the  Board  of  Trustees,  I  shall  promptly  resign.  The 
war  must  go  on.  We  need  a  controversy  here.  The  Papists  have  almost 
taken  possession  of  Charleston  ;  and  among  the  leading  men  in  the  State, 


24:6  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

the  dreadful  apathy  on  the  subject  of  religion,  which  they  too  much 
manifest,  turns  all  their  sympathies  in  favour  of  the  Papists.  Contro 
versy  cannot  make  things  worse,  and  may  make  them  better.  Trusting 
in  God,  and  the  power  of  His  truth,  I  shall  endeavour  to  vindicate  Chris 
tianity,  and  expose  the  abominations  of  Popery  to  the  light  of  day. 
Still,  my  brother,  I  am  not  ashamed  to  confess  to  you  that  I  feel  weak. 
I  am  badly  prepared  for  this  contest.  In  the  first  place,  all  Columbia 
does  not  furnish  a  library  adequate  to  the  exigencies  of  a  full  and  com 
plete  controversy  with  Rome.  In  the  second  place,  I  have  not  studied 
this  matter  as  accurately  as  I  should  have  done.  My  attention  has  been 
turned  more  to  doctrine,  logical  exposition  of  truth,  to  philosophy,  and 
studies  of  an  abstract  nature,  than  to  minuteness  of  historical  details. 
Still,  if  I  had  the  books,  which  I  have  not,  I  could  say  with  Milton,  in  his 
apology  for  Sinectymnuus,  that,  '  if  they  provoke  me,  I  will  in  three 
mojiths  be  an  expert  councilist,'  (sec.  12.)  I  shall  endeavour,  however, 
so  to  conduct  the  discussion  as  to  make  it  turn  on  principles.  Now,  you 
must  help  me.  You  can  give  me  hints,  direct  me  to  important  sources 
of  information  which  I  might  overlook,  and  occasionally  give  me  an 
article,  which  you  can  re-publish  in  your  Magazine,  and  thus  make  it  a 
part  of  your  editorial  labour. 

"To  the  Millenarian  controversy,  I  have  never  minutely  turned  my 
attention,  I  have  been  so  struck  with  the  confusion,  contradiction,  and 
perplexity  which  have  characterized  the  most  of  the  expositions  that  I 
have  consulted,  as  to  be  deterred  from  forming  any  opinion  with  my 
present  degree  of  light.  When  I  can  give  you  an  opinion  worth  record 
ing,  I  will  cheerfully  do  so.  Uutil  then,  my  crude  speculations  would 
be  a  waste  of  ink  and  paper,  ***** 

' '  Ever  your  sincere  friend  and  brother, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

The  response  to  this  is  marked  by  that  exhilaration 
which  the  war-worn  veteran  always  feels  at  the  sound  of 
the  bugle: 

"BALTIMOKE,  April  3,  1843. 

"MY  DEAB  BBOTHEB  AND  FBIEND  :  How  many  reasons  have  we  to 
know  that  God's  ways  are  not  like  ours  ?  Who  would  have  supposed  my 
great  confidence  in  your  learning  and  abilities,  and  the  pride  and 
affection  of  Mr.  Weir,  were  to  be  the  means  of  obliging  you  to  win  hon 
our  ;  and  what  is  so  much  better,  greatly  promote  the  truth,  by  becom 
ing  in  the  South  the  champion  of  the  Reformation,  and  of  the  Bible  ? 
The  Papists  are  surely  mad.  Not  one  of  those  who  have  done,  or  will 
do  them  most  harm,  would  have  been  induced,  probably,  to  give  them 
selves  seriously  to  this  great  and  widespread  controversy,  if  they  had 
been  let  alone.  The  hand  of  God  is  in  this  thing.  I  need  not,  there 
fore,  say,  Arise,  and  in  His  might,  do  the  work  to  which  He  calls  you,  for 


GENERAL  CORRESPONDENCE.  247 

which  He  will  surely  reward  you,  and  by  which  here  or  hereafter  He  will 
surely  honour  you.  But  so  much  I  may  say :  no  event  could  have  made 
me  feel  more  assuredly  that  God  is  on  our  side,  than  that  He  obliges 
you  to  take  up  arms  in  this  quarrel.  Anything  it  is  possible  for  me  to 
do,  I  will  gladly  do,  both  for  the  cause's  sake  and  for  yours  ;  so  that  you 
have  only  to  command  me,  and  to  point  out  the  particular  service  as  oc 
casion  requires  it. 

"  On  one  point,  I  will  venture  to  caution  you.  Let  not  your  high 
Southern  blood  drive  you  to  any  such  step  as  you  intimate.  Don't  think 
of  resigning  your  Professorship.  The  old  Huguenot  and  Scotch  blood 
of  Carolina  only  sleeps ;  it  is  not  dead.  Only  give  it  a  fair  chance  to 
manifest  itself.  If  the  worst  comes,  let  the  Trustees,  or  the  Legislature, 
take  the  responsibility ;  and  in  that  case,  the  worse  the  better.  To 
make  the  community  -what  it  should  be,  it  is  just  needful  to  know  ex 
actly  what  it  is.  This,  I  know,  will  be,  if  it  arises,  the  worst  part  of  the 
trial  to  you ;  that  is,  to  your  feelings ;  but  it  is  all-important  to  meet  it ; 
for  it  may  be  the  reason  of  the  higher  and  more  evident  success  of  the 
truth  ;  and  let  it  fall  out  as  it  may,  it  will  surely  be  for  your  own  perso 
nal  honour.  I  know  how  you  feel,  and  how  you  will  argue.  But  have 
I  not  been  indicted  like  a  felon  ?  Would  I  not  rather  have  been  burned 
at  the  stake  ?  But  did  not  God  turn  all  this  to  the  confusion  of  His  ene 
mies  and  mine  ?  You  are  in  many  ways  precisely  the  man,  and  precisely 
situated  as  you  should  be,  to  make  a  noble  and  imperishable  defence,  by 
deed  and  by  word,  for  the  glorious  inheritance  which  is  ready  to  be 
snatched  from  the  world.  May  God,  our  Saviour,  stand  ever  at  your 
right  hand. 

"  With  great  affection,  ever  your  brother  and  friend, 

Ko.  J.  BBECKINBIDGE." 


In  the  sketch  of  Mr.  Bobbins,  given  in  the  third  chap 
ter  of  this  book,  his  death  is  mentioned  as  occurring  on 
the  26th  of  March,  1843.  It  was  the  snapping  of  a  very 
tender  tie,  and  no  tears  were  shed  upon  his  grave  more 
sincere  than  those  of  his  former  pupil  and  ward.  The 
letter  which  follows,  addressed  to  the  widow,  will  better 
tell  the  story  of  his  grief. 

To  Mrs.  H.  K.  Bobbins,  Cheraw,  S.  C. : 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  April  4,  1843. 

4  MY  DEAR  FRIEND  :  I  had  heard,  the  day  before  I  received  your  let 
ter,  that  the  Lord  had  '  taken  away  your  head. '  My  mind  was  prepared 
for  this  solemn  event.  Through  the  kindness  of  Brother  Coit,  I  was 
kept  informed  of  the  precise  condition  of  Mr.  Robbins's  health,  and, 
therefore,  was  not  surprised  when,  at  length,  it  was  announced  that  the 


248  LIFE  OF  JAMES   HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

last  conflict  was  over,  and  the  last  enemy  subdued.  I  was  extremely 
anxious  to  be  with  you,  and  to  mingle  my  tears  with  yours,  at  the  grave 
of  one  whose  memory  I  shall  never  cease  to  venerate,  and  whose  works 
of  faith  and  labour  of  love  have  followed  him  to  his  rich  and  blessed 
account.  Nothing  but  the  very  serious  sickness  of  my  dear  companion 
prevented  me  from  hastening,  at  once,  to  the  chamber  of  my  dying 
friend.  For  a  whole  week  I  was  kept  in  awful  suspense,  as  to  the  prob 
able  result  of  a  violent  inflammation,  which  had  seized  upon  Mrs.  Thorn- 
well's  head.  By  the  mercy  of  God,  she  has  completely  recovered.  How 
often  have  I  uttered  Balaam's  wish  :  '  Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  right 
eous,  and  let  my  last  end  be  like  his,'  since  I  heard  of  the  triumphant 
departure  of  your  sainted  husband.  Horses  of  fire,'  and  chariots  of  fire, 
were  round  about  him,  to  conduct  him  in  safety  and  peace  to  the 
court  of  the  King  of  kings.  Death  to  him  was  not  a  calamity  ;  his  soul 
marched  in  triumphal  procession,  in  invisible,  but  glorious  state,  to  its 
chosen  home,  the  scene  of  its  abiding  rest. 

"No,  my  sister,  let  us  not  weep  for  him,  but  weep  for  ourselves.  We 
are  the  sufferers,  we  the  losers.  But  his  gain  may  also  become  our  joy, 
if  we  follow  the  example  of  his  faith  and  patience.  The  departure  of 
our  friends  should  be  employed  as  a  means  to  wean  our  affections  from 
the  vanities  of  earth,  and  to  fix  our  regard  upon  that  city  which  hath 
foundations,  whose  maker  and  builder  is  God.  Under  no  circumstances, 
to  the  believer,  is  Heaven  a  land  of  strangers.  He  has  walked  with  God 
upon  earth,  and  has  counted  it  his  highest  glory  to  know  Him,  and  to  be 
known  of  Him ;  he  has  found  Christ  to  be  an  affectionate  Brother,  and 
the  Holy  Spirit  a  precious  Comforter.  When  brought  into  more  intimate 
and  endearing  alliance  with  these  august  and  blessed  Persons,  he  will 
not  feel  lost ;  he  will  be  at  home.  Is  it  presumption  to  add,  that  his 
familiarity  with  the  place  will  be  sojuewhat  increased,  by  finding,  among 
his  companions,  those  with  whom  he  had  taken  sweet  counsel  on  earth  ? 
Is  not  Heaven  sometimes  presented  in  a  more  attractive  garb — is  it  not 
made  more  tangible,  more  capable  of  being  embodied  as  a  reality — when 
we  reflect  that  it  contains  those  whom  we  had  loved  here  below  ?  They 
have  gone  before  us ;  and  are  we  not  greatly  stimulated  in  our  Christian 
course,  by  the  prospect  of  meeting  them  at  the  end  of  our  journey,  and 
of  being  once  more  united,  and  that  in  the  presence  of  the  Lord  ?  Be 
this  as  it  may,  every  opening  grave,  and  every  funeral  bell,  should  forci 
bly  remind  us  that  here  we  have  110  continuing  city  ;  that  the  time  of  our 
sojourning  is  short ;  and  that  our  grand  and  paramount  duty  is  to  be 
found  ready,  with  our  loins  girded,  our  lamps  trimmed,  and  our  lights 
burning,  whenever  the  midnight  cry  shall  be  heard,  '  Behold,  the  Bride 
groom  cometh  !  '  Eternity  is  just  at  hand ;  for  that  we  should  prepare. 
Our  tears  can  hardly  dry  up  for  the  departed,  before  it  shall  be  said,  we 
too  are  gone.  For  myself,  I  expect  soon  to  be  with  your  husband  and 
my  friend.  My  wasting  strength  daily  reminds  me  that  my  sands  are 
running  out,  and  th:.t  what  I  intend  to  do  for  God  and  for  my  race  I 
must  do  quickly. 


GENERAL  CORRESPONDENCE.  249 

"You  have  many  great  and  precious  promises  to  sustain  and  support 
you  in  this  affliction.  Your  dear  little  babes  are  the  heritage  of  the 
Lord ;  and  not  a  hair  shall  fall  from  their  heads,  without  His  special  and 
controlling  care.  They  will  be  loved  for  their  father's  sake.  Fear  not, 
therefore ;  the  Lord,  the  Shepherd  of  Israel,  who  neither  slumbers  nor 
sleeps,  will  watch  over  them,  and  'suffer  no  enemies  to  do  them  harm. 
I  need  not  say  that  I  shall  be  happy  to  be  employed  as  an  instrument,  in 
God's  hand,  of  rendering  any  service  to  you  and  your  little  ones.  For 
yourself,  I  can  only  say,  make  the  Lord  your  husband.  He  is  never 
deaf  to  the  cry  of  the  widow.  Follow  that  track  of  light  which  irra 
diates  the  path  of  your  beloved  husband :  it  will  lead  to  glory  and  im 
mortality.  There  are  many  mourners  around  his  grave.  It  was  a  sore 
bereavement  to  my  dear  wife,  for  she  loved  the  departed  tenderly.  Oh ! 
how  many  of  us,  that  now  mourn  together,  shall  hereafter  rejoice  to 
gether  with  him  around  the  throne  of  God !  My  dear  sister,  I  hope  you 
enjoy  that  peace  which  flows  from  the  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus. 
If  not,  give  no  rest  to  your  eyes,  nor  slumber  to  your  eyelids,  until  the 
Lord  has  revealed  His  Son  to  yoii,  and  in  you,  as  the  hope  of  glory.  That 
God  may  be  merciful  unto  you,  and  bless  you,  and  cause  His  face  to 
shine  upon  you,  is  the  sincere  and  fervent  prayer  of  one  who  shall 
always  rejoice  to  be  considered,  and  to  be  esteemed  by  you,  as  well  for 
your  own  as  for  your  husband's  sake,  what  he  now  subscribes  himself, 
"  Your  true  and  faithful  friend, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 

THE  ELDER  QUESTION. 

ASSEMBLY  DECISION  UPON  THE  QUORUM  or  A  PKESBYTEBY.  —  UPON  THE 
IMPOSITION  or  HANDS  BY  ELD  BBS  IN  TJHE  ORDINATION  OF  MINISTEBS.  — 
LETTERS  ON  THESE  TOPICS.  —  ARTICLE  PUBLISHED.  —  ARGUMENT  OF  DR. 
BBECKINRIDGE,  BEFORE  SYNOD  OF  PHILADELPHIA,  REVIEWED.  —  FURTHER 
CORRESPONDENCE  ON  THE  ELDERSHIP.  —  LETTERS  OF  SYMPATHY.  —  THE 
INTIMATIONS  OF  GOD'S  WILL  FROM  THE  LEADINGS  OF  PROVIDENCE. 


General  Assembly  of  1843  is  memorable  for  the 
-L  decision  it  rendered  upon  what  is  technically  known 
as  "the  Elder  Question;"  which  divides  itself  on  the  two 
points  of  jurisdiction  and  prerogative.  This  subject  had 
been  brought  before  the-  preceding  Assembly,  and  was 
passed  over  as  unfinished  business  to  the  next.  It  could, 
therefore,  be  anticipated,  and  is  accordingly  hinted  at,  in 
the  letters  we  have  already  given.  The  decision  finally 
reached  was  embodied  in  two  resolutions:  First,  "that  any 
three  ministers  of  a  Presbytery,  being  regularly  convened, 
are  a  quorum  competent  to  the  transaction  of  all  business, 
agreeably  to  the  provision  contained  in  the  Form  of 
Government,  chapter  10,  section  7."  Second,  "  that  it  is 
the  judgment  of  this  General  Assembly,  that  neither  the 
Constitution  nor  the  practice  of  our  Church  authorizes 
ruling  elders  to  impose  hands  in  the  ordination  of  min 
isters."* 

The  year  following,  the  whole  subject  was  again  raised 
by  overtures  from  different  parts  of  the  Church,  and  the 
above  decision  was  confirmed  by  explanatory  action  of  the 
Assembly,  to  wit:  that  in  respect  to  the  quorum  of  a 
Presbytery,  "the  decision  is  based  upon  the  fact,  that 
ministers  are  not  only  preachers  of  the  gospel,  and  admin- 

*  Digest,  Ed.  185G,  p.  43. 


252  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOENWELL. 

istrators  of  sealing  ordinances,  but  also  ruling  elders,  in 
the  very  nature  of  their  office;"  and  in  respect  to  the  right 
of  ruling  elders  to  impose  hands  in  ordination,  that,  "as 
the  rite  of  ordination  is  simply  a  declaratory  ministerial 
act,  the  laying  on  of  hands,  as  a  part  thereof,  belongs 
properly  to  ordained  ministers;  while  to  ruling  elders  is 
,left  unimpaired,  and  unquestioned,  the  full  and  rightful 
power  of  ordering  the  work  of  ordination,  and  of  judging 
in  the  discipline  of  ministers,  in  common  with  those  pres 
byters  who'  labour  in  word  and  doctrine,  as  in  all  other 
cases."* 

Under  this  adjudication,  the  question  has  remained  from 
that  day  to  this,  although  large  numbers  in  the  Church 
have  never  acquiesced  in  it,  as  either  sound  or  true.  A 
moment's  reflection  will  show  that  the  principles  involved 
go  down  to  the  very  core  of  our  Presbyterian  system; 
and  the  discussion  upon  them  was  far  more  earnest  and 
long  continued  than  that  previously  maintained  on  the 
subject  of  Boards.  That 'branch  of  the  question  which 
relates  to  the  quorum  of  a  Presbytery,  evidently  touches 
the  whole  relation  which  the  ruling  elder,  as  a  distinct 
officer,  sustains  to  the  courts,  the  constitution,  and  the 
government  of  the  Church;  while  the  other  branch  of  it 
involves,  besides  this,  the  natural  import  of  ordination: 
whether  in  any  degree  sacramental  in  its  character,  the 
sign  and  seal  of  an  invisible  grace,  or  merely  an  act  of 
government,  setting  apart  to  certain  duties  and  functions, 
and  therefore  one  of  joint,  and  not  several,  power.  It  is 
not  to  be  supposed  that  a  decision,  which  so  materially 
involved  the  essence  of  Presbyterianism,  would  escape  the 
criticism  of  two  such  champions  as  Drs.  Breckinridge  and 
Thornwell.  We  will,  therefore,  gather  into  this  chapter 
the  entire  correspondence  relating  to  this  matter,  which 
will  reveal  the  extent  and  method  of  their  opposition  to 
the  Assembly's  decree. 

*  Digest,  Ed.  1856,  p.  44. 


THE  ELDER  QUESTION.  253 

'  Dr.  Thornwell  thus  writes : 

"ABBEVILLE  C.  H.,  July  8,  1843. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :     *****          **** 
*  *          *          *     '  The  point,  however,  about  which  I  sat  down  to 

write  to  you,  concerns  your  controversy,  not  mine,  except  so  far  as  it  is 
a  matter  which  interests  the  whole  Church.  I  have  been  chagrined  and 
mortified  beyond  measure,  at  the  proceedings  of  the  last  Assembly,  in 
reference  to  questions  which  involved  the  distinctive  principles  of  our 
system  of  ecclesiastical  polity.  Unless  light  is  thrown  upon  the  peculiar 
and  characteristic  features  of  Presbyterianism,  the  points  in  which  it 
differs  from  Congregationalism,  on  the  one  hand,  and  Prelacy,  on  the 
other,  we  shall  soon  lose  all  that  is  discriminating,  and  be  reduced  to 
an  incoherent  mass  of  discordant  elements.  I  cannot  understand  how 
our  ministers  and  elders,  who  profess  to  have  studied  our  system,  should 
give  utterance  to  such  sentiments  as  were  avowed,  more  than  once,  in 
the  discussion  upon  a  question,  which  never  ought  to  have  arisen  in  a 
Presbyterian  Assembly,  touching  the  membership  of  ministers  in  the 
Church.  The  decision,  too,  of  the  right  of  ruling  elders  to  participate 
in  ordination,  took  me  by  surprise.  This  matter  must  be  discussed  be 
fore  the  churches.  And  if  you  do  not  disdain  such  feeble  assistance  as 
mine,  I  propose  to  give  you  an  article,  showing  that,  in  the  Primitive 
Church,  the  right  was  not  only  conceded,  but  freely  exercised,  and  that 
Prelacy  was  actually  introduced  by  its '  gradual  denial.  I  have  looked 
with  some  attention  into  this  matter,  and  am  pursuaded  that  there  is 
something  more  in  it  than  a  mere  question  of  visage.  It  involves  a 
principle  which  lies  at  the  very  foundation  of  oxir  system.  The  truth 
is,  my  dear  brother,  we  have  been  so  long  accustomed  to  institutions 
and  organizations  foreign  to  our  polity,  that  we  are  rapidly  losing  sight 
of  our  glorious  constitution.  Scores  of  our  ministers,  and  thousands  of 
our  people,  do  not  \mderstandthe  real -strength,  and  consequently,  do 
not  feel  the  beauty  of  our  Church.  Her  walls,  and  towers,  and  magnifi 
cent  bulwarks,  have  been  fenced  out  of  view ;  and  we  are  content  to 
stand  in  an  outer  court,  where  we  cannot  behold  the  glories  of  the  Tem 
ple.  We  must  pull  down  these  earthly  contrivances,  and  reveal  our  Zion 
in  her  true  proportions,  as  the  chosen  heritage  of  God.  In  my  tour 
through  the  country,  I  have  kept  my  eye  steadily  upon  the  prospect  and 
condition  of  our  churches,  and  am  completely  satisfied  that  our  coldness 
and  declension  may  be  ultimately  traced  to  ignorance  or  f  orgetf  ulness  of 
the  true  vocation  of  the  Church.  Our  brethren  are  treating  symptoms  as 
they  are  developed,  one  by  one,  without  going  to  the  root  of  the  disease. 
Their  labour,  consequently,  fails  of  its  purpose.  ***** 
"Your  faithful  friend,  and  fellow-servant  in  the  Gospel, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


To  which  this  is  a  rejoinder: 


254         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

"  BALTIMOBE,  July  13,  1843. 

"  MY  DEAR  BKOTHEB  :  ********* 
*  *  *  *  You  will  easily  suppose  that  I  was  much  distressed 
and  mortified  at  the  result  of  the  matter  about  ruling'elders,  in  the  last 
Assembly.  I  knew  the  Church  was  not  ready  for  the  question ;  but  I 
had  no  conception  of  the  extent  of  its  ignorance  and  false  principles. 
I  had  no  hand  in  bringing  on  the  question  there,  none  in  bringing  it 
up  ;  and  desired  its  discussion  put  off.  Last  year,  when  I  was  in  the 
Assembty,  they  put  it  off,  rather  than  hear  me  on  it ;  this  year  they 
would  not  hear  of  delay.  The  Repertory,  the  Presbyterian,  the  Watch 
man  of  the  South,  and  a  paper  at  Pittsburgh,  and  one  in  Ohio,  by  agree 
ment,  and  perhaps  concerted  move,  carried  the  matter  by  a  coup  demain. 
I  intend,  if  the  Lord  permits,  to  bring  up  the  question  in  our  Synod 
this  fall ;  and  carry  it  to  the  Assembly,  if  it  is  decided  against  me,  as  I 
am  pretty  sure  it  will  be.  I  will  also  pretty  soon  write  a  notice  of  the 
arguments  on  the  other  side,  merely  to  expose  them ;  and  thus  show 
that  they  do  not  prove  what  they  were  used  to  prove.  Except  this,  I  will 
write  no  more  about  the  matter,  till  I  bring  it  before  the  Assembly. 
Would  it  not  be  well  for  you  to  bring  up  the  matter  before  your  Synod 
also  ?  or  would  it  perhaps  be  better  for  you  to  leave  that  alone  for  a 
third  trial,  and  come  up  in  the  Assembly  of  1845,  if  we  are  beat  in  that 
of  1844,  as  we  perhaps  shall  be  ?  I  thank  God  He  has  induced  you  to 
examine  this  matter  fully ;  and  I  beg  that  you  will  carry  out  your  idea, 
both  of  writing  on  it,  and  of  being  in  the  next  Assembly.  *  *  *  * 

"  I  would  be  really  obliged  by  your  thoughts  on  the  other  question, 
about  which  you  express  yourself,  so  as  to  show  that  your  opinion  is  de 
cided,  but  not  so  as  to  enable  me  to  determine  what  it  is  ;  I  mean  about 
the  membership  of  ministers  in  churches.  My  mind  is  not  clear  on  the 
matter.  I  concede,  of  course,  that  if  ministers  be  members  of  par 
ticular  churches,  it  is  only  in  such  form  as  to  give  them  the  rights  of 
membership,  while  the  responsibilities  thereof  are  to  the  Presbytery. 
But  except  we  make  them  members  of  the  Church  general,  they  must 
be  members  of  some  particular  church ;  otherwise  they  are  not  in  the 
visible  Church  at  all.  For,  though  officers  of  the  Church,  they  are  not 
the  Church,  which  were  Popery.  But  is  there  any  mode  of  being  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  general,  except  by  being  a  member 
of  a  particular  church  ?  If  elders  may  lay  on  hands,  it  is  because  they 
are  Presbyters ;  but  they  are  members  of  particular  churches  ;  why  not 
ministers?  Indeed,  as  you  are  aware,  in  the  early  French  Discipline, 
the  elders  could,  on  occasion,  discipline  and  silence  their  pastors ;  and 
so  could  the  Kirk  Session,  under  the  second  Book  of  Scottish  Discipline. 
Indeed,  for  twenty  years  after  the  commencement  of  the  Scottish  Re 
formation,  there  was  not,  in  all  Scotland,  any  other  Presbytery  than  an 
Eldership,  which  was  about  what  two  or  three  of  our  Church  Sessions 
would  be,  if  met.  I  incline,  therefore,  to  think  ministers  are  members. 
I  fear  you  think  otherwise,  and  so  I  desire  your  views ;  and  will  not 


THE  ELDER  QUESTION.  255 

commit  myself  till  I  hear  from  you,  which  is  what  I  would  not  say  to 
five  men  in  the  world. 

"  I  seriously  believe  that  the  germ  of  High  Churchisin  and  Popery,  is 
to  be  found  in  the  ultimate  principles,  which  lead  our  ministers  to  the 
cast  of  opinion  which  prevails  around  us.  Their  notions  lead  them  to 
disesteem  the  Church  Courts,  to  lower  the  office  of  elder,  to  sink  the 
body  of  the  people  of  God,  to  question  the  divine  warrant  for  Church 
Order,  to  deny  it  for  Presbyterial  Church  Order ;  and  the  germ  of  all 
seems  to  me  to  be  a  notion  of  their  own  inherent  exaltation.  A  Board  is 
as  good  as  a  Presbytery,  if  they  are  in  it ;  a  Presbytery  is  complete,  if 
they  are  there ;  a  man  is  ordained,  if  they  put  hands  on  him ;  member 
ship  is  not  for  those  who  own  the  body.  How  otherwise  shall  we  ex 
plain  the  varying  opinions,  which  seem  to  agree  only  on  this  solitary 
point,  that  ministerial  ordination  is  a  mysterious,  if  not  magical,  thing, 
and  carries  with  it  a  kind  of  opus  operatuin  !  May  God  ever  bless  and 
keep  you,  is  the  prayer  of 

"  Your  faithful  friend, 

Ro.  J.  BRECKINRIDQE." 

From  Dr.  Thorn  well : 

"  YORKVILLE,  August  15,  1843. 

"Mr  DEAR  BROTHER  :  Your  letter  reached  Abbeville  after  I  had  left, 
and  was  forwarded  to  me  at  Table  Eock,  in  Pickens's  District.  The 
dilapidated  state  of  your  health  is  to  me  a  matter  of  the  profoundest 
grief ;  and  I  sincerely  pray  that  God  may  restore  you  to  your  strength, 
prepared  by  affliction  for  still  greater  labours  in  the  service  of  your  Mas 
ter.  I  know  of  no  event  that  would  fill  my  heart  with  greater  heaviness, 
than  your  prostration  from  sickness,  debility,  oj  death.  I  have  long  felt 
that  your  principles  were  in  advance  of  the  age ;  but  I  am  fully  per 
suaded  that  they  are  destined,  in  another  generation,  to  a  complete  and 
glorious  triumph.  They  are  the  true  principles  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church ;  and  there  cannot  be  a  stronger  proof  of  the  degeneracy  of  our 
times,  than  the  slowness  with  which  they  are  comprehended,  and  the 
coldness  with  which  they  are  greeted.  The  Lord,  however,  has  not 
wholly  deserted  us.  I  have  met  with  men,  here  and  there,  in  the  Church, 
who  have  given  a  hearty  response  to  them,  and  who  are  prepared  to  lend 
their  aid,  in  bringing  back  our  beloved  Zion  to  a  cordial  acknowledgment 
of  them. 

' '  Touching  the  matter  of  ruling  elders,  the  Assembly  has  shocked 
scores  by  the  second  resolution,  who  would  not  have  been  alarmed  by  the 
first.  The  decision,  that  a  Presbytery  can  be  constituted  (a  quorum) 
without  ruling  elders,  has  produced  in  this  State  a  general  dissatisfac 
tion  ;  in  some  cases,  severe  indignation.  This  oversight,  for  I  can  re 
gard  it  in  no  other  light,  reveals  the  real  bearing  of  their  principles  who 
supported  the  first  resolution,  and  will  arouse  the  Church  to  reflection 
and  sober,  patient  investigation.  God  often  overrules  evil  for  good; 


256  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

and  men  are  frequently  taught  the  truth,  by  being  made  sensible  of  the 
effects  of  error.  I  am  satisfied  that  every  Presbytery  in  this  >tate  (I  can 
not  speak  for  Georgia)  will  solemnly  remonstrate  against  the  decision  in 
question ;  and  I  think,  too,  that  a  large  portion  of  our  ministers  and 
elders  will  be  found  in  favour  of  the  whole  truth,  upon  the  subject  of  the 
eldership.  Upon  consultation  with  several  of  our  best  men,  I  have  de 
termined  to  bring  the  matter  before  our  Synod.  Should  the  brethren 
from  South  Carolina  be  generally  present,  we  will  have  a  very  strong  vote. 
The  Georgians,  I  do  not  know.  Many  of  the  ministers  in  that  State  are 
Northern  men,  and,  I  am  afraid,  too  much  under  the  influence  of  Prince 
ton  and  the  Repertory.  I  think  that  the  Synod  should  respectfully  me 
morialize  the  Assembly,  and  put  that  body  in  possession  of  the  real  state 
of  the  argument.  I  shall  prepare  such  a  document,  move  that  a  commit 
tee  be  appointed  for  the  purpose,  and  thus  be  able  to  introduce  my 
views  fully  and  at  large.  If  the  majority  be  against  me,  the  memorial 
will  still  exist,  and  be  published  and  circulated  as  an  argument.  Many 
would  unite  with  me  in  presenting  it  to  the  Assembly  as  an  individual 
matter,  and  thus  we  could  succeed  in  getting  it*  before  them.  A  similar 
memorial  from  a  portion  of  your  Synod,  coupled  with  the  resolution 
of  the  Synod  of  Kentucky,  would  show  the  Assembly  that  the  question 
would  have  to  be  met  upon  other  grounds  than  those  of  authority.  The 
discussion  will  be  productive  of  vast  good,  in  unfolding  the  real  nature, 
as  well  as  the  capabilities  of  our  system.  There  is  a  profound  ignorance 
upon  this  subject,  and  an  ignorance  which  does  not  like  to  be  disturbed. 
The  treatment  of  your  Bi-centenary  Report  shows  the  apathy,  in  regard 
to  our  Church  Order,  which  has  taken  possession  of  the-  Church.  We 
have  so  long  been  walking  in  the  light  of  our  own  eyes,  and  rejoicing  in 
our  own  contrivances,  that  we  have  quite  forgotten  that  the  Church,  in 
its  outward  organization,  as  well  as  in  its  essential  principles,  is  a  Divine 
institution.  The  next  step  will  be  to  deny  any  Scriptural  authority — 
that  is,  any  specific  warrant  from  Scripture,  for  the  office  of  ruling 
elder — at  all.  It  will  soon  be  put  upon  the  ground  of  expediency,  and 
then  the  next  step  will  be  to  abolish  the  office  altogether; 

' '  In  regard  to  the  church-membership  of  ministers,  I  apprehend  that 
there  is  no  difference  of  opinion,  when  the  terms  are  once  defined.  A 
minister  is  not  so  a  member  of  any  particular  church  as  to  be  subject  to 
its  Session  ;  this  is  granted.  Again,  he  is  entitled  to  privileges  in  any 
particular  church,  not  by  reason  of  his  relations  to  any  such  church, 
but  by  virtue  of  his  connection  with  Presbytery.  Now,  the  Presbytery 
stands  in  the  same  relation  to  all  the  churches  within  its  bounds,  which 
the  Session  sustains  to  a  particular  church.  Hence,  a  member  of  Presby 
tery  is  ipso  facto  a  member  of  every  church  under  its  care.  When  a 
minister  comes  to  us  from  Ireland  or  Scotland,  he  is  received  by  the 
Presbytery.  He  does  not  apply  to  any  particular  -church  for  admission, 
but'  to  the  Presbytery.  When  received  by  that  body,  he  is  entitled  to 
ordinances  in  all  its  congregations.  Under  our  constitution,  the  case  is 
not  the  same  with  a  ruling  elder ;  because  the  court  of  which  he  is  a 


THE  ELDER  QUESTION.  257 

standing  member  has  jurisdiction  only  over  a  single  congregation. 
Ruling  elders  are  consequently  dismissed  from  congregation  to  congre 
gation.  Ministers  would  be  in  the  same  category  with  them,  if  our 
Presbyteries,  as  in  primitive  times,  embraced  only  the  Session  ;  that  is, 
if  the  Presbytery  of  every  particular  church  were  the  body  which  or 
dained.  I  have  not  time  to  write  more,  especially  as  I  am  writing  with 
a  detestable  pen.  I  hope,  however,  you  can  read  it. 

"  I  am,  as  ever,  your  sincere  friend  and  brother, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

In  the  fall  of  1843,  Dr.  Breckinridge  delivered,  before 
the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  two  elaborate  arguments  upon 
both  branches  of  this  double  question,  on  the  composition 
of  the  quorum  of  a  Presbytery,  and  on  the  right  of  ruling 
elders,  when  members  of  Presbytery,  to  impose  hands  in 
the  ordination  of  ministers  of  the  Word.  They  were 
subsequently  published  in  a  pamphlet,  bearing  the  sig 
nificant  title,  "Presbyterian  Government  not  a  Hier 
archy,  but  a  Commonwealth;  and  Presbyterian  Ordina 
tion  not  a  Charm,  but  an  Act  of  Government."  It  is, 
perhaps,  as  fine  a  specimen  of  forensic  reasoning  and  elo 
quence  as  the  controversies  of  the  Church  in  these  times 
afforded.  They  were  fully  and  favourably  reviewed  by 
Dr.  Thorn  well,  in  the  pages  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian 
Review, — a  quarterly  then,  and  since  published  at  Co 
lumbia,  South  Carolina; — which,  together  with  a  prior 
article,  on  "  The  Ruling  Elder  a  Presbyter,"  published  in 
The  Spirit  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  a  magazine  con 
ducted  by  Dr.  Breckinridge,  in  Baltimore ;  and  a  sermon 
preached  in  1856,  at  the  ordination  of  certain  elders  in 
the  church  at  Columbia,  are  all  the  contributions  made 
by  him  to  this  discussion.  They  are  all  to  be  found  in 
the  fourth  volume  of  his  "  Collected  Writings,"  to  which 
the  reader  is  once  for  all  referred.  The  letters  which 
follow  relate  to  these  matters.  The  first  is  from  Dr. 
Breckinridge :  • 

"BALTIMORE,  Jfmember  27,  1848. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  THORN  WELL  :  I  am  in  your  debt  a  letter  or  two,  and 
also  for  your  fine  article,  which  will  appear  in  my  next — my  last  number. 
My  farewell  address  will  so  fully  explain  my  views,  that  I  will  not  trouble 


258  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

you  now.  I  have  been  very  busy  for  the  last  two  weeks,  in  all  odd  times, 
writing  out  my  argument,  delivered  before  our  Synod,  on  the  quorum 
of  a  Presbytery  ;  and  am  about  to  write  out  that  on  the  question  of  or 
dination.  They  will  both  appear  in  the  Presbyterian,  and  a  very  large 
edition  in  pamphlet  form.  I  have  written  them  out  at  the  request  of 
the  large  majority  of  the  ruling  elders  of  this  city.  I  consider  the  whole 
question  of  Church  order  involved  in  the  two  propositions,  and  treat 
them  accordingly  ;  for  if  jurisdiction  or  ordination  be  in  the  hands  of 
preachers,  as  preachers,  there  is  an  end  of  Presbyterianism.  I  wish 
that  you  would  get  your  article,  that  will  appear  in  my  next  number, 
copied  into  the  paper  at  Charleston  ;  it  is  short,  clear,  conclusive.  And 
now,  you  may  rest  assured  that  no  effort  will  be  left  untried  to  defeat  us. 
*  *  *  *  I  will  look  after  it  in  the  Presbyterian ;  it  will  be  fully  at 
tended  to  in  Kentucky.  It  remains  to  take  care  of  it  in  the  South,  and 
at  Pittsburgh.  At  this  latter  point  I  will  do  what  I  can,  if  nothing 
better  occurs.  It  will  devolve  upon  you,  my  dear  brother,  to  uphold 
this  cause  at  the  South.  *  *  *  This  will  not  reach  you,  I  presume, 
till  your  return  from  your  Synod.  My  heart  and  my  prayers  will  be 
with  you  there.  If  you  can  carry  it,  it  puts  our  cause  in  the  ascendant ; 
for,  taking  the  votes  of  the  Synods  of  Kentucky  and  Philadelphia,  the 
matter  is  about  tied.  You  cannot  tell  how  I  feel  strong,  when  I  reflect 
that  you  are  so  deeply  interested  in  this  great  question.  God  has  given 
you  great  abilities.  You  have  also  facilities  the  most  of  us  have  not. 
Stir  up  your  strength,  then,  my  dear  brother,  and  we  shall  see  the  truth 
cut  its  way.  *  *  * 

''Let  me  hear  from  you  soon,  and  let  me  have  an  interest  in  your 

prayers. 

"  Faithfully,  your  friend  and  brother, 

Ko.  J.  BBECKINEIDGE." 

Several  letters  follow  from  Dr.  Thornwell's  pen,  no 
replies  to  which  are  in  our  possession.  These,  however, 
trace  the  general  progress  of  the  discussion : 

"COLUMBIA,  March  1,  1844. 

"Mr  DEAE  BROTHER:  You  were  almost,  though  not  exactly,  right  as 
to  the  cause  of  my  silence  on  the  elder  question.  My  own  health  has 
been  as  good  as  usual,  but  I  have  had  another  protracted  case  of  typhus 
fever  in  my  family.  This  is  the  thirty-eighth  day  since  my  brother-in- 
law  was  attacked  by  this  horrible  disease,  and  he  is  now  just  able  to  go 
upon  his  legs.  He  was  very  seriously  ill,  and  at  one  time  his  physicians 
manifested  considerable  anxiety  about  him.  My  leisure  time  was,  con 
sequently,  devoted  to  him.  I  hope,  however,  by;  God's  blessing,  to  be 
able  to  furnish  something  upon  the  question,  next  week.  Your  speech,* 

*  The  argument  delivered  before  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  to  which 
reference  is  made  by  us  already. 


THE  ELDER  QUESTION.  259 

however,  has  so  completely  exhausted  the  subject,  that  you  have  left 
nothing  to  be  gleaned  after  you ;  and  if  you  should  find  that  I  avail 
myself  rather  freely  of  your  labours,  you  must  attribute  it,  not  to  the 
poverty  of  the  subject,  but  to  the  richness  of  your  argument.  Within 
the  whole  compass  of  my  reading,  I  have  never  met  with  a  clearer  and 
abler  exposition  of  Presbyterial  Regiment  than  your  two  speeches  afford. 
There  are  only  one  or  two  points  which  I  wish  you  had  contrived  to  incor 
porate  in  them,  so  as  to  have  made  them  perfect.  The  first  is  the  expan 
sive  character  of  Presbytery,  enabling  it  to  preserve  the  unity  of  every 
possible  condition  of  the  Church,  in  regard  to  numbers  and  extent.  A 
single  church  may  be  Presbyterian,  by  being  under  the  government  of 
a  congregational  Presbytery,  or  Session.  Two  or  more  churches  have  a 
common  Presbytery,  in  the  classical  Presbytery,  and  so  on.  This  point 
you  have  touched  upon  in  your  letter  to  ruling  elders.  Our  courts  of 
appellate  jurisdiction,  as  an  expansion  of  the  Presbytery,  to  meet  the 
growth  of  the  Church,  has  always  struck  me  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
features  of  our  system.  This  matter  I  shall  probably  develope  in  my 
argument. 

"I  have  written  in  great  haste,  and  in  considerable  pain  of  body.  You 
must  excuse  me,  therefore,  if  I  have  sent  you  but  a  scrawl.  One  thing 
you  may  depend  on :  the  sincerity  of  my  love,  and  the  earnestness  of  my 
prayers,  for  you  and  yours. 

"  Very  truly,  your  brother, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  April  16,  1844. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  have  sent  to  Dr.  Plumer  *  a  long  article  on  the 
Elder  question.  I  could  easily  make  a  book  upon  it.  My  essay  contains 
only  three  arguments :  the  first,  drawn  from  the  constitution  of  the 
Church ;  the  second,  from  the  nature  of  ordination,  as  an  act  of  govern 
ment  ;  and  the  third,  from  the  prelatical  tendencies  of  the  opposite  doc 
trine.  This,  you  will  perceive,  is  only  a  fraction  of  what  might  be  said. 
In  developing  the  argument  from  the  constitxition  of  the  Church,  I  have 
laid  down  principles  which,  if  the  article  should  be  thought  worthy  of 
attention  at  all,  will  produce  an  intense  agitation.  I  have  spoken  what 
I  believe  to  be  the  truth.  The  ultimate  triumph  of  our  cause  is  certain. 
We  are  gaining  ground  every  day.  In  this  State,  the  leaven  is  gradually 
working  among  our  ministers  and  elders,  though  we  have  a  tremendous 
tide  of  prejudice  to  stem. 

"  Dr.  Miller's  sermon  I  have  not  seen,  but  I  am  satisfied  that  my  main 
positions  are  true.  I  have  brought  them  out  again,  in  my  second  article. 
There  is  one  point  which  I  must  shortly  discuss,  and  that  is  the  distri 
bution  of  power  among  our  Church  Courts.  This  occasions  a  difficulty 
to  many  minds,  and  prevents  them  from  appreciating  the  simplicity  of 
the  Presbyterial  organization. 

*  At  this  time  editing  the  Watchman  of  the  South,  at  Richmond,  Va. 


260  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

"Let  me  hear  from  you  before  you  leave  Baltimore,  and  while  at  the 
Assembly.  I  wish  we  were  so  situated  that  we  could  often  meet  in  thfe 
flesh.  I  know  of  no  man  on  earth  with  whom  I  would  more  delight  ta 
hold  frequent  communion. 

"Very  truly,  your  friend  and  brother  in  Christ, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  May  1,  1844. 

"MY  DEAR  BROTHER:  I  have  just  dispatched  another  article  to  the 
Watchman  of  the  South,  which  will  close  my  present  contribution  to  this- 
controversy.  I  wrote  the  thing  to-day,  and  was  compelled  to  do  it  in 
such  great  haste,  having  but  a  small  portion  of  time  to  allot  to  it,  that  it 
presents  no  other  attractions  but  those  of  naked  truth.  My  object  was 
to  show  that  the  charge  of  Independency,  which  has  been  so  freely  and 
so  confidently  urged  against  us,  is  utterly  without  foundation.  I  think 
that  I  have  put  this  charge,  the  offspring  of  ignorance,  engendered  by 
malice,  completely  to  rest.  I  have  written  calmly  and  dispassionately  ; 
though  the  egregious  misrepresentations  of  Dr.  Miller  and  McCalla  were 
sufficient  to  provoke  me.  I  have  determined, ,  however,  to  enter  into  a 
controversy  with  neither  of  them,  unless  it  should  be  forced  upon  me  in 
such  a  way  that  I  could  not  honourably  decline  it.  Since  writing  to  you 
before,  I  have  procured  a  copy  of  the  Doctor's  sermon.  In  the  small 
portion  devoted  to  my  article,  he  falls  into  two  singular  mistakes.  1.  He 
represents  me  as  saying  that  Calvin,  Owen,  and  others,  endorse  my  views 
of  the  distinction  of  ministers  and  elders,  as  such ;  whereas,  I  simply  re 
ferred  to  them  as  maintaining  the  ancient  and  Presbyterian  exposition  of 
the  passage  to  which  I  appealed  in  Timothy.  2.  He  is  wrong  in  saying 
that  Owen  did  not  hold,  upon  this  subject,  the  same  opinion  as  myself. 
I  did  not  refer  to  him,  in  the  article,  as  holding  them ;  but  still  he  does 
most  stoutly  and  resolutely  maintain  them.  To  say  nothing  of  his  elab 
orate  account  of  the  difference  in  gifts  which  preachers  and  elders  re 
quire,  he  is  very  particiilar  to  state,  that  the  pastor  combines  both  offices ; 
and  in  consequence  of  his  being  an  elder,  and  in  consequence  of  that  fact 
alone,  he  is  entitled  to  rule  in  the  Church.  Take  the  following  passage, 
which  you  will  find  in  his  works,  (vol.  20,  p.  486,  London  edition,  1826): 
'  Unto  pastors  and  teachers,  as  such,  there  belongs  no  rule  ;  although,  by 
the  institution  of  Christ,  the  right  of  rule  be  inseparable  from  their  office. 
For  all  that  are  rightfully  called  thereunto  are  elders  also,  which  gives 
them  an  interest  in  rule.'  Can  anything  be  more  explicit  and  distinct? 
How,  then,  could  Dr.  Miller  say  that  Owen  held  the  doctrine  of  his 
sermon?  This  great  man  made  the  eldership  one,  and  every  elder,  whe 
ther  a  teacher  or  not,  so  far  as  he  was  an  elder,  partook  of  the  same 
office.  Dr.  Miller,  however,  makes  two  distinct  sorts  of  elders.  The 
eldership  of  which  a  minister  partakes  is,  according  to  him,  a  different 
kind  of  eldership  from  that  which  is  possessed  by  the  ruling  elder.  I 
cannot  understand  how  the  Doctor  could  misrepresent  Owen  so  egre- 
giously,  when  he  was  professedly  taking  me  to  task  for  the  same  sin. 


THK  ELDER  QUESTION.  201 

"Ministers  without  a  charge,  will  think  that  a  regular  conspiracy  has 
been  formed  against  them ;  but  I  cannot  see  any  method  of  evading  the 
conclusion  at  which  I  arrive,  in  my  first  article  for  the  Watchman.  The 
same  view  was  held  by  other  bodies,  besides  the  Burgher  Synod,  to 
which  I  referred.  See  Owen,  Vol.  20,  page  457. 

"I  have  read  the  article  in  the  Biblical  Repertory.  It  has  added  no 
thing  to  the  argument,  and  I  am  sorry  Princeton  is  in  such  a  temper. 
There  is  one  fact,  however,  which  I  wish  to  see  explained.  You  and  the 
writer  both  quote  the  Belgic  Confession,  and  yet  neither  of  your  quota 
tions  agree  with  the  copy  to  be  found  in  the  Corpus  et  Syntagma  Confes- 
sionum  Ftdci,  which  was  piiblished  at  Geneva  in  1654.  What  edition 
did  you  use  ?  The  various  readings  are  so  striking,  that  I  should  like  to 
know  when,  where,  and  how,  the  changes  were  made.  The  discrepan 
cies  between  the  reviewer's  copy  and  mine,  satisfied  me  that  each  of 
you  might  be  right  in  his  quotations,  having  followed  different  editions. 

"Your  third,  in  reply  to  Dr.  McLean,  is  capital.  You  have  taken 
what  I  conceive  to  be  the  only  sensible  view  of  a  quorum,  and  effectually 
put  down  the  ludicrous  trifling  into  which  the  good  Doctor  had  fallen.  I 
feel  much  solicitude  about  your  success  before  the  next  Assembly.  I 
sincerely  trust  that  God  may  give  you  grace  to  maintain  your  position, 
so  as  to  glorify  His  name,  even  if  you  should  be  defeated  in  the  object 
of  your  suit.  Maintain,  my  brother,  the  spirit  of  Christ,  and  its  con 
trast  to  the  temper  in  which  you  have  been  assailed  will  speak  vohimes  in 
your  favour.  I  hope  that  the  Master  will  be  with  you,  to  guide,  direct, 
and  sustain  you.  Do  not  forget  to  give  me  an  occasional  line,  informing 
me  how  matters  go  with  you.  My  interest  will  be  intense,  and  I  shall 
be  able  to  get  nothing  from  the  papers,  except  through  the  Presbyterian. 

"An  organ  of  some  sort  we  must  have.  Give  us  a  paper,  and  we 
shall  certainly  win  the  day.  I  attached  so  much  importance  to  this  mat 
ter,  that  I  had  determined  to  write  to  you  about  it.  I  hope,  therefore, 
that  you  may  succeed  in  setting  a  paper  on  foot. 

"I  have  been  preparing  a  series  of  discourses  on  the  Eternal  Sonship 
of  Christ.  I  have  been  so  much  interested  in  the  subject,  that,  if  I 
could  overcome  my  mortal  repugnance  to  the  pen,  I  might  be  tempted 
to  put  them  in  a  permanent  form. 

' '  May  grace,  mercy,  <fec. , 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  July  12,  1844. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  Having  been  disappointed  in  my  expected  trip 
to  the  North,  I  drop  you  a  hasty  line,  to  let  you  know  that  I  have  deter 
mined  to  put  my  letters  on  the  Apocrypha  to  the  press  at  once.  I  have 
sent  them  to  Leavitt,  Trow  &  Co.,  with  instructions  to  print  one  thou 
sand  copies.  I  have  no  hopes  of  being  able  to  pay  the  expenses  from  the 
sale  ;  but  I  concluded  to  try  my  fortunes  with  the  public.  I  shall  depend 
on  you  to  give  me  a  lift  in  getting  them  into  circulation. 


262  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

"  I  am  about  to  come  out  in  the  Charleston  Observer,  in  reply  to  '  Ge 
neva.'  I  think  I  shall  be  able  completely  to  demolish  him.  I  have 
already  written  most  of  my  reply,  and  would  be  happy  to  have  you  see 
it.  How  does  your  pulse  beat  since  the  adjournment  of  the  Assembly  ? 
I  have  been  looking  for  a  letter  from  you. 

"Very  truly  and  affectionately, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

"COLUMBIA,  August  10,  1844. 

"  MY  DEAB  BKOTHEE  :  ********  It  is  very 
evident  that  our  brethren  of  the  majority  are  consoling  themselves 
with  the  delusive  hope  that  the  war  is  ended  on  the  subject  of  elders. 
'I  have  written  sixteen  manuscript  pages  of  my  reply  to  '  Geneva,'  and 
as  soon  as  I  finish  the  remainder,  I  shall  send  it  to  brother  Gilder- 
sleeve.  In  the  course  of  my  argument  I  have  attempted  to  show,  that 
the  words  pastor  and  bishop  are  both  most  generally  employed,  in  pro 
fane  and  sacred  authors,  to  denote  those  invested  with  authority,  and  not 
merely  teachers  or  instructors.  This  fact  will  take  them  by  surprise ; 
as  in  all  their  discussions  they  have  qiiietly  assumed  that  a  bishop  must 
be  a  preacher.  They  have  never  thought  of  appealing  to  the  Septuagint 
and  to  classical  writers,  for  the  usage  of  the  word,  which,  if  they  had 
done,  they  would  find  that  there  is  not  a  single  instance  in  which  it  is 
used  in  anything  like  the  sense  to  which  they  would  exclusively  restrict 
it.  I  shall  present  them  with  some  stubborn  facts  upon  this  point,  that 
they  will  not  find  it  very  easy  to  digest.  Another  circumstance  has  been 
strangely  overlooked.  In  the  African  Church  they  find  Presbyter  and 
Senior  used,  one  in  reference  to  ministers,  the  other  to  ruling  elders. 
They  infer  that  the  words  are  not  synonymous,  because  they  are  appa 
rently  applied  to  different  officers.  "Why  not,  say  they,  call  both  Pres 
byters,  or  both  Seniors  ?  The  question  is  obvious,  they  wanted  distinct 
terms,  and  accordingly  went  to  the  Latin  Bible,  where  they  find  the 
same  Greek  word  in  reference  to  the  same  officer  sometimes  rendered 
Presbyter  and  sometimes  Senior.  The  more  I  reflect  upon  the  subject, 
the  more  I  am  satisfied  that  the  truth  of  the  case  is  with  us. 

' '  I  am  glad  to  learn  that  brother  Dunlap  is  in  Baltimore  ;  as  I  know 
that  he  will  strengthen  your  hands,  and  aid  you  in  every  good  word  and 
work.  Please  make  my  kindest  remembrances  to  him.  You  may  tell 
him,  moreover,  that  his  last  letter  was  duly  submitted  to  a  committee  of 
clerks  and  printers  ;  and  after  having  been  deliberately  examined,  mark  by 
mark,  was  pronounced  to  be  wholly  illegible.  Still,  after  divers  and  sun 
dry  efforts,  as  I  had  some  general  knowledge  of  what  I  suppose  he  intended 
to  say,  I  succeeded  in  guessing  out  (for  I  cannot  say  that  I  spelt  a  word) 
the  strange  hieroglyphics,  which  were  scrawled  before  me,  like  the  tracks 
of  snails  on  Southern  oeilings. 

"  I  see  that  you  and  Dr.  Pluiner  and  Mr.  Rice  have  challenged  all  the 
bishops,  archbishops,  priests,  and  deacons  in  the  United  States,  so  they 
come  not  more  than  three  at  a  time.  They  are  too  cunning  to  take  you 
up.  Let  me  hear  from  you  soon,  etc. , 

"  J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


THE  ELDER  QUESTION.  263 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  December  27,  1844. 

MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  have  been  resolving  every  day,  for  some  weeks 
past,  to  write  you  a  long  letter,  but  have  not  been  able  to  command  suffi 
cient  time  to  say  all  that  I  wanted  to  say.  Your  sermon*  is  exactly  the 
thing ;  it  is,  in  every  way,  seasonable  and  to  the  point.  All  I  fear  is,  that 
you  have  not  given  it  a  sufficiently  wide  circulation.  I  wish  it  were  in 
the  hands  of  every  minister,  and  every  candidate  for  the  ministry,  in  the 
land. 

"  Our  Synod  has  just  adjourned.  I  had  no  opportunity  of  bringing 
tip  the  resolutions  which  I  had  prepared  on  the  elder  question.  The 
first  business  on  which  we  entered,  was  that  of  division  ;f  and  the  arrang 
ing  of  the  details  connected  with  the  constitution  and  funds  of  the 
Seminary,  took  up  our  whole  time.  I  was  on  the  Board  of  Directors, 
and  had  to  be  a  great  deal  engaged  in  committee.  So  that  I  could  not 
have  argued  the  matter,  if  any  one  else  had  brought  it  up.  I  was  very 
sorry,  as  this  was  our  last  meeting  in  a  united  body.  I  think  that,  in  the 
new  Synod  (to  be  erected)  of  South  Carolina,  we  shall  have  a  very  strong 
minority.  My  impression  is,  that  the  State  is  almost  equally  divided ;  a 
majority  of  ministers  being  against  us,  a  majority  of  elders  in  our 
favour.  In  Georgia,  we  have  next  to  no  strength  at  all.  The  question 
has  come  up  in  two  Presbyteries  in  this  State,  South  Carolina  and  Har 
mony  ;  and  the  two  parties  were  considered  about  equally  balanced.  I 
have  to  preach  the  opening  sermon  of  our  Presbytery,  in  Charleston,  at 
its  next  meeting  in  April ;  and  shall  take  occasion,  in  imitation  of  your 
example,  to  Lift  up  my  voice  like  a  trumpet.  It  is  my  anxious  desire  to 
be  a  member  of  the  next  Assembly,  and  I  want  you  to  be  one  too.  We 
must  get  the  matter  up  again,  in  some  shape  or  other ;  and  I  think  I 
have  a  plan  by  which  it  can  be  done.  If  you  should  be  a  member  of 
that  body,  supposing  that  my  scheme  should  not  succeed,  it  would  be 
proper  in  you  to  agitate  the  question,  as  you  were  refused  a  hearing  by 
last  Assembly.  It  would  be  simply  an  act  of  justice  to  yourself,  to  heur 
the  grounds  on  which  you  maintain  your  opinions. 

"I  am  about  to  come  out  with  another  sermon,  of  which  I  will  fur 
nish  you  a  copy  as  soon  as  it  is  published.  The  subject  is,  the  Necessity 
of  the  Atonement. J  The  students  have  requested  its  publication,  and  I 
did  not  feel  at  liberty  to  refuse.  It  was  preached  on  the  Sunday  before 
commencement ;  the  day  on  which  I  usually  preach  a  valedictory  sermon 
to  the  graduating  class. 

*  The  reference  is  to  a  published  sermon  of  Dr.  Breckinridge,  entitled, 
"  The  Christian  Pastor  one  of  the  Ascension  Gifts  of  Christ ;"  preached 
at  the  installation  of  the  Rev.  B.  W.  Dunlap,  in  Baltimore.  A  review 
of  it  by  Dr.  Thorn  well,  in  1847,  in  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Review,  will 
be  found  in  Vol.  IV,  of  his  '  Collected  Writings.' 

tThe  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  was,  at  this  meeting,  divi 
ded  into  the  two  Synods  of  South  Carolina,  and  of  Georgia. 

I  Found  in  Vol.  II,  of  the  'Collected  Writings.' 


264:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOBNWELL. 

"  Entre  nous,  I  have  serious  fears  that  my  usefulness  in  College  has 
reached  its  climax.  *  *******  From 
what  I  can  learn,  I  am  the  real  nexus  that  binds  the  religious  community 
to  the  College.  This  is  a  position  of  perilous  responsibility,  which  I  do 
not  like  to  hold.  I  endeavour  to  preach  the  Gospel  faithfully,  and  no 
man  dares  to  interfere  with  me.  I  have  the  esteem  and  affection  of  the 
young  men ;  but  still,  I  feel  solitary,  and  I  do  not  like  to  waste  my 
strength  upon  so  few.  If  the  providence  of  God  should  place  before 
me  a  pastoral  charge  suited  to  my  mind,  and  offering  a  reasonable  pros 
pect  of  usefulness,  I  should  feel  strongly  tempted  to  accept  it.  These 
things  are  said  to  you,  in  the  confidence  of  most  unbounded  Christian 
love,  with  the  view  of  eliciting  your  opinion,  to  which  I  always,  and  on 
every  subject,  attach  great  value.  I  can  assure  you  that.you  had  my 
warmest  sympathies  in  your  recent  affliction.  I  did  not  know  how  much 
I  loved  you,  until  I  heard  you  were  in  deep  waters.  Still,  I  had  no 
doubt  but  that  a  covenant-keeping  God  was  passing  you  through  the  fur 
nace,  for  your  own  good,  and  for  His  glory.  For  myself,  I  have  been 
often  desponding,  since  I  saw  you.  I  have  been  painfully  impressed 
with  a  sense  of  worthlessness.  I  feel  that,  if  I  should  die,  I  should  sink 
into  the  grave  like  a  stone  into  the  water,  unmissed,  unlamented,  unre 
garded.  Pray  for  me,  my  brother,  that  God  may  give  me  grace  suited 
to  my  day. 

"As  ever,  yours,  J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

A  heavy  affliction  in  the  family  of  Dr.  Breckinridge 
drew  forth  a  brief  letter  of  sympathy : 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  December  28t  1844. 

"My  VERY  DEAR  BROTHER:  I  have  just  this  moment  heard,  from 
Colonel  Preston,  of  the  severe  and  awful  calamity  with  which  you  have 
been  visited.  My  heart  is  full,  and  I  know  not  what  to  say.  All  that  I 
can  do  is  to  pray  that  God  may  be  with  you,  to  comfort,  support,  and 
sanctify  you.  My  beloved  brother,  when  I  think  of  your  desolate  fire 
side,  and  still  more  desolate  affections ;  your  motherless  children,  and 
the  perilous  responsibility  that  is  now  accumulated  upon  their  only  pa 
rent,  my  heart  bleeds  within  me.  I  enter  into  your  sorrows ;  I  share 
your  bereavement ;  I  partake  of  your  anxieties.  But  it  is  in  affliction 
that  the  real  greatness  of  Christianity  is  seen.  You  have  a  covenant  God 
to  whom  you  may  flee,  unbosom  your  sorrows,  and  make  known  your 
wants ;  and  it  is  His  prerogative  to  be  a  very  present  help  in  time  of 
trouble.  He  careth  for  you  ;  and  can  make  this  calamity,  bitter  as  it  is, 
conduce  to  your  good.  You  know,  you  have  tasted,  His  love  ;  and  it  is 
His  own  word,  that  He  doth  not  willingly  afflict  or  grieve  the  children  of 
men. 

' '  I  cannot  but  think  that  your  thoughts  are  now  much  set  upon  the 
heavenly  state.  Another  charm  is  now  given  to  the  place,  since  the 
dearest  object  of  your  affections  is  now  gone  to  be  for  ever  with  the  Lord. 
The  separation  betwixt  you  and  her  is  only  temporary.  The  Master  will 


THE  ELDER  QUESTION.  265 

soon  call  for  you  also ;  and  then  sorrow  and  sighing  will  flee  away  for 
ever.  In  the  meantime,  your  little  ones  may  be  safely  entrusted  to  the 
Shepherd  of  Israel ;  who  has  promised  to  bless  the  seed  of  the  righteous, 
and  who  loves  them  for  their  father's  sake.  I  might,  my  brother,  write 
you  a  long  letter,  suggesting  the  ordinary  topics  of  Christian  consolation ; 
but  I  prefer  to  leave  you  in  the  hands  of  the  blessed  Spirit,  who  will 
teach  you  effectually,  and  administer  Comfort  as  He  sees  it  to  be  good. 
To  Him  I  commend  you,  begging  you  to  accept  my  assurances  of  pro 
found  sympathy  and  of  fervent  prayer  in  your  behalf. 
"  Very  truly,  yotir  friend  and  brother, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

The  letter  which  follows  forms  a  link  in  Dr.  Thorn- 
weirs  personal  history ;  and  is  equally  appropriate  as  the 
conclusion  of  this  chapter,  or  as  the  introduction  to  the 
next : 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  March  12,  1845. 

"Mr  DEAR  BROTHER:  Since  receiving  your  last  kind  and  welcome 
letter,  I  have  been  confined  to  my  chamber,  for  about  ten  days,  with 
catarrhal  fever.  My  whole  family  have  suffered  not  a  little  with  sore- 
throat.  But  through  the  good  hand  of  the  Lord  upon  us,  we  are  all  now 
restored  to  our  usual  health. 

"The  circumstances  in  which  you  are  placed  must  be  full  of  embar 
rassment  and  perplexity.  Broken  in  health,  wounded  in  spirit,  with  two 
calls  before  you  to  different  and  responsible  stations,  you  must  feel  very 
sensibly  your  need  of  Divine  guidance  and  direction  in  guiding  yoxir 
steps.  I  have  but  a  single  suggestion  to  make  ;  and,  though  it  may  not 
be  new,  it  deserves  none  the  less  to  be  seriously  pondered,  by  those  who 
would  aim  singly  at  God's  glory.  We  are  too  often  prone  to  misinterpret 
what  are  called  the  leadings  of  Providence,  and  to  take  those  things  as 
the  intimations  of  Divine  will  which  are,  perhaps,  designed  to  be  trials 
of  our  faith.  I  am  quite  satisfied  that  no  one  can  ever  reach  the  will  of 
God,  in  his  own  particular  case,  by  jxidging  merely  from  promising  ap 
pearances.  The  measures  of  human  probability — it  is  a  lesson  recorded 
on  every  page  of  the  Bible — are  not  the  standard  of  Divine  wisdom. 
Every  striking  instance  of  faith  commended  in  the  Scriptures  was  against 
the  conjectures  of  our  narrow  philosophy.  Had  Moses  reasoned  ac 
cording  to  the  prevailing  principles  of  our  day,  he  would  not  have  re 
fused  to  be  called  the  son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter.  The  prospect  of 
extensive  usefulness  was  so  much  greater  in  the  court,  the  sphere  of '  his 
influence  would  have  been  so  much  wider,  he  had  so  singularly  been 
raised  to  that  elevated  station,  and  the  hand  of  God  was  so  visible  in  the 
whole  affair,  that,  if  he  had  reasoned,  as  multitudes  do,  from  the  leadings 
of  Providence  and  probable  appearances,  he  would  have  felt  justified  in 
accepting  the  glittering  bribe  which  was  offered  him.  In  this,  however, 
he  would  have  followed  the  impulse  of  human  reason,  and  been  no  ex 
ample  of  faith. 


266  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

"My  friends  sometimes  charge  me  with  a  spice  of  fanaticism  ;  but  it 
is  my  deliberate  conviction,  that  the  only  way  of  arriving  at  a  knowledge 
of  the  Divine  will,  in  regard  to  us,  is  by  simplicity  of  purpose  and  earn 
est  prayer.  If  we  really  desire,  with  an  honest  heart,  to  know  our  duty, 
and  apply  to  God  to  be  instructed  by  Him,  He  will  impress  upon  the 
conscience  a  sense  of  duty,  just  in  the  direction  in  which  He  would  have 
us  to  move,  and  which  we  shajl  feel  it  perilous  to  resist.  This  sense  of 
duty  may  be  produced  by  some  principle  of  the  word  which  we  perceive  to 
be  applicable  to  the  exigency,  or  by  an  immediate  operation  upon  the  mind, 
which  we  are  unable  to  explain.  This  is  my  test ;  and  I  confess  that,  until 
after  having  sought  from  God,  with  simplicity  and  honesty,  His  divine  di 
rection,  I  feel  such  a  sense  of  duty  upon  my  conscience,  such  a  '  woe  is  me' 
upon  the  heart,  I  should  feel  it  unsafe  to  move.  That  you  may  have 
the  counsels  of  your  heavenly  Father,  and  be  guided  by  a  wisdom  better 
than  yours  or  mine,  is  my  sincere  prayer.  I  am  sure  it  is  your  purpose 
to  glorify  God,  and  I  am  equally  sure  that  '  the  meek  He  will  guide  in 
His  way. ' 

"I  am  sorry  to  learn  that  brother  Dunlap  has  been  so  seriously  af 
flicted.  This  is  indeed  a  vale  of  tears ;  and  they  whose  robes  are  washed 
and  made  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  are  they  who  have  come  out 
of  great  tribulation.  Oh !  how  precious  the  thought,  that  there  is  a  land 
of  rest,  where  sorrow  and  tears  are  unknown  for  ever !  and  how  anxious 
should  we  be  that,  through  God's  grace,  our  earthly  afflictions  may  wean 
our  hearts  from  sublunary  things,  and  fix  them  on  things  above,  where 
Christ  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God.  It  is  in  the  house  of  mourning 
that  the  real  greatness  of  Christianity  is  seen.  As  I  have  stood  by  the 
grave  of  departed  friends,  and  looked  at  the  prospect  of  a  glorious  re 
surrection,  my  feeelings  have  been  almost  insupportable.  Worlds  mul 
tiplied  on  worlds  could  not  induce  to  me  give  up  that  precious  text, 
*  Them  that  sleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  Him. '  No  doubt,  my 
brother,  resurrection  and  the  glory  beyond  have  been  much  upon  your 
thoughts,  since  the  Lord  removed  from  you  the  'delight  of  your  eyes.' 
Oh !  how  grand  is  the  Christian's  hope  !  The  time  is  short ;  we  shall 
soon  lay  aside  the  weapons  of  our  warfare,  and  buckle  on  the  panoply 
of  light  for  ever.  Please  make  known  to  brother  D.  my  Christian  sym 
pathy,  and  assure  him  of  an  interest  in  my  humble  prayers. 

"I  sincerely  wish  that,  in  your  projected  tour  for  the  recovery  of 
your  strength,  you  could  be  induced  to  visit  your  friends  here.  I  should 
be  delighted  to  see  you,  and  hold  converse  with  you,  touching  the  things 
which  pertain  to  Jesus  Christ.  I  am  sure  that  you  have  learned  much 
in  the  house  of  mourning,  and  I  should  delight  to  have  you  recount  the 
rich  and  precious  consolations  of  God's  grace.  My  own  path  is  dark 
and  uncertain ;  but  I  have  endeavoured  to  commit  my  way  unto  the 
Lord.  Let  me  hear  from  you  soon ;  and  I  would  like  to  hear  your  views 
in  relation  to  my  situation  here,  as  developed  in  a  recent  letter  to  you. 
""With  warmest  Christian  affection,  your  friend  and  brother, 

"J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

CALL  TO  BALTIMORE. 

DISSATISFACTION  WITH  THE  COLLEGE. — CALL  TO  CHURCH  IN  BALTIMORE. — 
ACCEPTED  BY  HIM. — DISMISSION  TO  PRESBYTERY  OF  BALTIMORE. — 
DOCTORATE  CONFERRED. — ACTION  OF  TRUSTEES  OF  THE  COLLEGE. — DE 
TAINED  FOR  A  YEAR. — CORRESPONDENCE  GROWING  OUT  OF  THIS. — BAL 
TIMORE  CHURCH  WAITS  FOR  THE  YEAR. — PRESBYTERY  RECONSIDERS  AND 
REVERSES  ITS  FORMER  ACTION. — HE  REMAINS  IN  THE  COLLEGE. 

A  HINT  has  already  been  given,  in  Dr.  ThornwelFs 
correspondence,  of  his  dissatisfaction  in  the  College, 
and  of  a  disposition  to  enter  upon  some  suitable  pastoral 
charge.  At  the  close  of  1841,  the  Hon.  R.  W.  Barnwell 
had  been  compelled,  by  ill  health,  to  resign  the  presi 
dency  of  the  institution ;  and  the  present  administration 
had  not  proved  to  be  either  popular  or  successful.  Dr. 
Thornwell  did  not  feel  himself  to  be  cordially  supported 
by  the  authorities,  in  his  office  as  chaplain.  He,  therefore, 
was  meditating  a  change ;  when,  by  a  singular  coincidence, 
movements  were  on  foot,  which  resulted  in  the  transfer  of 
the  Rev.  Dr.  R.  J.  Breckinridge  from  the  pulpit  of  the 
Second  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  to 
the  presidency  of  Jefferson  College,  at  Cannonsburgh, 
Pennsylvania.  Considering  the  intimate  friendship  be 
tween  the  two  men,  and  the  constant  correspondence 
maintained  at  this  period,  it  was  most  natural  that  the 
attention  of  the  church  in  Baltimore  should  be  turned  to 
Dr.  Thornwell,  as  the  successor  of  his  friend.  A  call  was 
made  out  in  due  form,  and  was  laid,  by  the  commissioner 
of  that  church,  before  the  Presbytery  of  Charleston,  on 
the  6th  of  October,  1845.  After  mature  deliberation,  the 
call  was  placed,  by  the  Presbytery,  in  Dr.  Thorn  well's 

267 


268  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

hands,  and  was  by  him  accepted.  The  proper  testimonials 
were  also  ordered  to  be  given  him ;  and  he  was  directed 
to  repair  to  the  Presbytery  of  Baltimore,  by  whom  the 
proper  steps  would  be  taken  for  his  regular  settlement  as 
the  pastor  of  said  church.  It  was  a  decision  arrived  at, 
with  marked  reluctance  on  the  part  of  the  Presbytery ; 
one  evidence  of  which  was  a  written  communication  from 
the  Second  Presbyterian  Church,  of  Charleston,  of  which 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  Smyth  was  the  pastor,  expressing 
"  the  hope  and  desire  that  Dr.  Thornwell  may  still  remain 
in  his  present  ecclesiastical  connexions,  and  may  find  a 
field  of  usefulness  within  our  bounds."  There  was,  how 
ever,  no  option  left  to  the  Presbytery,  but  to  grant  the 
petition  of  the  church  in  Baltimore,  since  Dr.  Thornwell 
was  clear  as  to  his  duty  in  leaving  the  College,  and  this 
was  the  only  providential  opening  which  just  then  pre 
sented  itself.  A  few  days  before  the  matter  was  matured 
in  this  form,  the  letter  found  below  was  addressed  to  Dr. 
Breckinridge :  • 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  October  4,  1845. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  ****** 

*  *  *          So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  the  matter  is  settled 

in  relation  to  the  Baltimore  call.  If  the  Presbytery  puts  it  into  my 
hands,  which  I  have  no  doubt  will  be  done,  it  is  my  fixed  purpose  to 
accept  it.  There  is  strong  opposition  to  my  leaving  the  State,  as  many 
of  my  friends,  and  the  friends  of  the  College,  are  bent  upon  raising  me 
to  a  higher  position  than  the  one  which  I  now  occupy ;  but  I.  have  no 
ambition,  and  no  desire,  for  the  station  to  which  they  would  promote 
me.  In  the  present  aspect  of  ecclesiastical  affairs,  I  feel  that  it  is  my 
duty,  not  merely  to  preach  the  gospel,  which  I  do  here,  but  to  preach  the 
gospel  under  such  circumstances  as  shall  bring  me  closely  into  contact 
with  the  Church ;  which  is  not  the  case  here.  Had  it  been  in  my  power 
to  choose  my  own  field  of  labour,  I  should  never  have  thought  of  leaving 
South  Carolina  ;  but  I  bow  to  the  will  of  a  sovereign  God,  and  acquiesce, 
without  a  murmur,  in  the  plain  intimations  of  His  providence.  I  shall 
move  to  Baltimore  as  soon  as  I  can  get  a  release  from  the  College  ;  which 
in  no  event  can  be  earlier  than  December,  and  may  be  as  late  as  January. 

"The  distinction  you  have  conferred  upon  me,  I  ascribe  entirely  to 
your  personal  partiality.  I  presume,  when  you  announced  the  matter  to 
your  Board,  there  was  a  general  look  of  astonishment,  each  asking  the 
other,  whence  this  man  came  ;  biit  such,  no  doubt,  was  the  strength  of 


CALL  TO  BALTIMORE.  269 

their  faith  in  you,  thnt  they  acceded  to  your  request,  in  the  hope  that  if 
I  were  not,  I  might  become  eventually,  worthy  of  the  honour.  All  that 
I  can  promise  you  is,  that  I  shall  endeavour  not  to  disgrace  you.  Last 
week  I  received  a  letter  from  Brother  Sparrow,  President  of  Hampden 
Sidney  College,  stating  that  his  Board  had  also  conferred  the  same  de 
gree  upon  me ;  so  that  D.  D.,  in  my  case,  may  stand  for  '  Doubly  Dubbed,' 
as  well  as  Doctor  of  Divinity. 

"I  cannot  express  to  you  my  gratification  at  receiving  the  engraving 
which  you  sent  me.  I  shall  have  it  elegantly  framed,  and  transmit  it  as 
a  legacy  to  my  children.  I  wish  very  much  you  had  come  with  McEl- 
derry.  It  would  have  afforded  me  great  pleasure  to  have  seen  you  on 
my  own  dung-hill,  and  interchanged  thoughts  with  you  about  the  pre 
sent  position  of  affairs  in  the  Church.  But  I  hope  to  see  you  often  in 
coming  days. 

"There  is  a  matter  which  has  weighed  much  upon  my  mind,  and 
upon  which  we  have  conversed  a  little  together,  and  that  is,  the  estab 
lishing  of  a  paper,  to  represent  and  defend  our  views.  I  have  no  doubt 
but  that  we  may  get  anything  into  the  Watchman  and  Observer.  But 
we,  ourselves,  would  feel  a  sense  of  delicacy  in  making  too  many  appli 
cations  to  it.  But  how  a  paper  is  to  be  set  agoing  I  do  not  see.  I  have 
been  in  hopes  some  good  man  would  undertake  a  quarterly  in  New  York, 
and  make  large  promises  of  contributions  from  distinguished  scholars 
on  points  of  Theology,  Biblical  Literature,  and  Church  Government; 
which  promises  might  be  made  in  great  sincerity,  and,  perhaps,  a  suffi 
cient  patronage  might  be  secured  to  justify  the  undertaking.  Fugitive 
articles  are  not  what  we  want ;  but  elaborate  discussions,  which  we  can 
leave  as  a  testimony  behind  us.  There  are  many  matters  of  great  inte 
rest  which  might  be  embodied  in  such  a  work,  and  many  ways  in  which 
it  might  be  commended  to  popular  favour.  But  the  rub  is,  to  get  an 
editor,  supposing  we  can  get  patronage.  I  have  more  faith  in  the  abid 
ing  and  ultimate  influence  of  a  quarterly,  than  of  a  weekly  newspaper  ; 
though  the  latter  would  be  more  rapid  in  its  effects.  I  hope  you  will 
not  forget  to  write  a  review  of  D'Aubigne  for  the  Southern  Quarterly. 
It  will  do  great  good.  That  periodical  has  a  much  more  extensive  cir 
culation  than  I  supposed  it  had  when  I  was  in  Kentucky  ;  and  you  will 
reach  a  class  of  minds  that  know  very  little  about  the  real  character  of 
the  Reformation. 

"The  result  of  the  action  of  Presbytery  shall  be  communicated  to 
you,  as  soon  as  practicable ;  but  I  presume  that  there  is  no  doubt  of 
what  it  will  be. 

"  Very  truly,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 


The  Doctorate  alluded  to  above,  as  conferred  by  the  au 
thorities  of  Jefferson  College,  and  duplicated  by  Hamp 
den  Sidney,  in  Virginia,  was  triplicated  by  Centre  College, 


270  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

at  Danville,  Kentucky.  These  distinctions  were  showered 
upon  his  head  by  three  institutions,  within  a  few  days  of 
each  other,  in  perfect  ignorance,  of  course,  that  they  were 
combining  to  do  honour  to  one  who  was  conspicuously 
able  to  bear  the  triple  burden. 

The  transfer  to  Baltimore,  was,  however,  unexpectedly 
arrested,  by  the  action  of  the  Trustees  of  the  College,  in 
enforcing  what  had  been  regarded  as  an  obsolete  law, 
which  required  a  twelve  months'  notice  of  a  resignation. 
It  was,  of  course,  only  one  of  those  measures  of  protec 
tion,  intended  to  be  used  when  great  interests  demanded 
its  application.  None  of  the  parties,  therefore,  antici 
pated  the  embarrassment  which  its  enforcement,  in  this 
instance,  occasioned.  In  connection  with  this  interdict, 
which,  of  course,  could  operate  only  for  a  year,  a  com 
plete  and  most  satisfactory  change  was  made  in  the  ad 
ministration  of  the  College.  The  Hon.  W.  C.  Preston, 
distinguished  in  the  history  of  South  Carolina  as  an  ora 
tor  and  a  statesman,  was,  by  the  acclamation  of  the  State, 
elected  to  the  Presidency ;  and  the  College  received  a 
vigorous  impulse  from  the  change. 

This  movement,  on  the  part  of  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
drew  forth  the  strictures  from  Dr.  Breckinridge,  which 
are  found  in  the  letter  that  follows: 


"JEFFERSON  COLLEGE,  CANNONSBURGH,  December  4,  1845. 
"MY  DEAR  THORNWELL  :  I  never  closed  my  whole  responsibility,  and  ac 
tive  interest  and  participation  in  any  subject,  more  to  my  own  satisfaction, 
than  when  I  ascertained  finally  that  you  would  come  to  Baltimore.  Sat 
isfied  that  the  hand  of  God  removed  me  from  that  field  of  labour ;  con 
vinced,  as  far  as  my  own  short  and  dim  vision  can  penetrate,  that  you 
were  the  man  to  occupy  the  post ;  rejoicing  in  the  unanimous  and  cor 
dial — and,  I  will  add,  spontaneous — conviction  of  the  congregation  to  the 
same  effect ;  I  greatly  rejoiced  in  God,  and  felt  a  great  care  taken  off  my 
hands,  and  a  great  mercy  to  be  conferred  even  personally  on  me,  when  I 
found  the  matter  settled,  and  your  going  there  fixed.  I  am  sure  you  will 
find  a  wide  field ;  in  some  respects,  not  as  desirable  as  the  situation  you 
have  left ;  but,  on  the  whole,  and  in  its  entire  bearings  and  influence,  of 
immense  importance,  and  capable  of  being  xised  with  unspeakably  more 
power  and  efficiency  than  it  has  yet  been.  My  prayers  are  for  your 


CALL  TO  BALTIMORE.  271 

great  happiness  and  usefulness ;  and  I  now  see,  with  great  clearness,  if 
I  ever  doubted,  that  whatever  God  may  have  designed  as  to  me,  in  re 
moving  me  from  Baltimore,  He  designed  mercy  to  that  city,  and  to  the 
people  of  my  old  charge.  Almost  the  last  thing  I  said  to  them,  on 
leaving  them,  was  almost  prophetic :  '  Do  you  think  that  God  will  forget 
your  goodness  to  the  pastors  He  has  sent  you  heretofore  ?  Do  you  think 
He  will  send  you  a  man  inferior,  in  any  way,  to  those  you  have  rendered 
happy  by  your  unfailing  kindness,  your  constant  reverence  and  love?' 
That  is  not  our  Master's  way  of  rewarding  His  people ;  and  what  I  so 
confidently  felt,  from  what  I  knew  of  His  dealings  and  His  revealed  will, 
He  would  do,  verily  He  has  done ;  and  heartily  do  I  rejoice,  and  thank 
Him.  ******** 

"December  5. 

"  So  far  I  had  written  yesterday,  being  interrupted.  I  have  since  re 
ceived  information  in  regard  to  the  action  of  your  Board  of  Tnistees, 
appointing  Colonel  Preston  to  the  Presidency,  and  refusing  your  appli 
cation  for  leave  to  resign ;  and,  what  tills  me  with  sorrow  and  alarm, 
your  inclination  to  submit  to  this  refusal.  I  have  weighed  the  matter 
as  fully  as  I  could;  and  will  now  give  you,  with  the  freedom  of  a 
friend,  my  views  of  the  case  as  thus  presented.  Consider:  1.  This 
act  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  if  contrary  to  your  wishes,  is  a  fraud  upon 
you,  considering  that  they  had  virtually  acqiiiesced  in  your  informal  no 
tice  of  your  intention  to  resign.  2.  That,  in  any  aspect  of  the  case,  the 
obligation  upon  you,  under  the  circumstances,  as  regards  that  notice,  was 
virtually  complied  with  ;  so  that  the  pretext  of  holding  you  bound  is 
the  merest  idlq  technicality,  destitute  of  all  moral  obligation,  3.  The 
Trustees  supposed  they  acted  in  accordance  with  your  wishes,  in  refusing 
you  leave  to  go ;  therefore,  their  act  is  no  more  a  rule  of  duty,  or  a  dis 
charge  of  opposite  obligations  absolutely  incurred,  than  a  reluctance  on 
your  part  to  fulfil  those  obligations  is  a  discharge  from  their  binding 
force.  4.  The  mere  supposition,  much  less  the  painful  reality,  that  the 
Trustees  believed  it  would  be  very  disagreeable  to  you  for  them  to  refuse 
to  let  you  go,  even  if  they  were  in  error  in  that  belief,  yet,  seeing  it  to 
be  the  ground  and  motive  of  the  act,  this  places  you  in  a  position  which 
obliges  you  to  refuse,  under  the  circumstances,  to  obey  their  act.  5. 
This  refusal  of  a  civil  corporation,  acting  contrary  to  the  clear  conclu 
sion  of  God's  Church,  lawfully  reached,  in  due  course,  upon  full  scrip 
tural  process  and  conclusions,  is  the  idlest  thing  in  the  world,  as  matter 
of  authority.  Viewed  in  any  other  light  than  simply  as  authority,  you 
owe  it  to  yourself  to  repudiate  it  absolutely.  6.  The  people  at  Balti 
more  were  under  the  full  conviction  that  you  could  and  would  leave  it, 
if  you  saw  it  to  be  your  duty  to  accept  theirs,  or  any  pastoral  call.  7. 
They  have  been  to  considerable  expense,  endured  considerable  priva 
tions,  done  all  that  was  fair,  generous,  and  right,  in  the  complete  reli 
ance  that  this  new  aspect  of  the  case  was  one  out  of  the  question,  and,  in 
fact,  disposed  of.  It  is,  therefore,  morally  obligatory  that,  as  to  them, 
and  their  affairs  and  relations  to  you,  it  should  be  considered  and 


272  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

treated  as  out  of  the  question,  utterly  and  absolutely.  8.  That  church 
will,  in  all  probability,  be  irreparably  injured,  divided,  and  scattered, 
if  you  now  refuse  to  go  there  ;  and  as  to  them,  all  this  injury  is  gratui 
tous,  and  from  a  quarter  that  was  contemplated,  plainly  and  clearly,  as 
being  already  disposed  of,  in  every  part  of  the  previous  arrangements. 
So  this  matter  looks  to  me.  May  our  God  and  Saviour  give  you  grace 
to  resist  this  temptation  ;  for  so  it  seems  to  me  most  clearly  to  be, 
taking  the  case  in  its  present  aspect.  As  to  the  real  importance  of  the 
places,  or  their  claims  upon  you  abstractly,  or  your  fitness  for  them,  all 
these  are  questions  not  now  to  be  discussed.  They  are  solemnly,  finally, 
religiously  adjudicated  ;  and  the  whole  question  is,  can  anything,  much 
less  this  new  act,  set  aside  the  result  actually  reached,  unless  by  the 
complete  consent  of  the  other  party,  the  church  ?  I  say,  No !  as  plainly 
and  clearly  as  ever  I  saw  any  question  whatever.  I  again  say,  May  God 
strengthen  you  against  this  temptation. 

"Believe  me,  my  dear  Thornwell,  I  fully  enter  into  your  difficulties  in 
this  case.  Excuse  me,  if  I  have  said  too  much.  Two  objects,  very  dear 
to  me,  seem  at  stake :  the  good  of  the  church  at  Baltimore,  and  your 
good  name ;  which  is  not  a  whit  less  dear  to  me.  I  am,  perhaps,  mis 
taken  in  my  view  of  what  the  course  of  duty  and  propriety  seems  to  me 
so  plainly  to  indicate.  If  so,  excuse  what  I  have  written,  in  all  love. 
May  God  ever  bless  you. 

"Your  friend  and  brother, 

Ro.  J.  BRECKINRIDGE." 

One  can  scarcely  fail  to  trace,  in  the  matter  and  style 
of  this  paper,  the  hand  of  the  lawyer,  workftig  in  a  case 
for  the  interest  of  his  client;  and  is  a  little  curious  to  see 
how  these  specifications  will  be  set  aside.  We  have  some 
misgivings  lest  these  details  may  prove  a  little  too  minute 
and  tedious.  But  besides  that  both  letters  are  eminently 
characteristic  of  the  writers,  the  case  terminated  so  re 
markably,  that  we  prefer  the  reader  should  be  in  full 
possession  of  all  the  facts  pertaining  to  it.  The  reply  to 
these  strictures  is  very  long ;  but  it  is  so  frank  and  gene 
rous  in  its  tone,  reveals  a  sensibility  to  considerations  of 
honour,  and  discloses  principles  upon  which  difficult  ques 
tions  of  duty  may  be  resolved,  that  we  give  it  without 
abridgment : 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  December  13,  1845. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  received  your  letter  a  few  evenings  ago ;  and, 
in  the  midst  of  the  deep  tribulation  in  which  it  found  me,  the  very  ap 
pearance  of  your  handwriting  was  refreshing  to  my  heart.  This  is  now 


CALL  TO  BALTIMORE.  273 

the  sixteenth  day  since  my  poor  wife  took  her  bed,  having  been  seriously 
indisposed  for  a  week  before.  She  was,  at  first,  threatened  with  violent 
inflammation  of  the  brain,  then  of  the  bowels,  and  finally  her  disease 
settled  down  into  a  continuous  fever  of  the  typhoid  type,  marked  by  two 
violent  paroxysms  in  the  twenty-four  hours.  My  mind  has  alternated 
between  hope  and  fear.  I  have  had  anxious  days  and  sleepless  nights ; 
and,  though  I  endeavour  to  cultivate  a  spirit  of  entire  resignation  to  the 
will  of  God,  it  is  my  constant  prayer  that  He  may  not  afflict  me  above 
measure.  The  symptoms  to-day,  I  am  rejoiced  to  say,  are  more  favourable 
than  they  have  been  ;  but  I  have  been  so  often  deceived  by  flattering  ap 
pearances,  I  am  almost  afraid  to  indulge  in  hope. 

"in  connection  with  these  distresses  has  been  a  severe  and  painful 
conflict,  in  reference  to  the  action  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  this  insti 
tution  ;  and  as  I  value  your  opinion  upon  any  subject  upon  which  you 
will  venture  to  pronounce  one,  more  than  that  of  any  man  living,  I  have 
been  deeply  grieved  that  your  conclusions  differ  so  widely  from  my  own, 
as  to  the  precise  light  in  which  that  action  should  be  viewed.  I  am  per 
suaded,  however,  that  your  mind  labours  under  some  radical  misappre 
hension  of  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  that  your  opinions  have  been  formed 
from  inadequate  data.  It  is  due  to  you,  therefore,  to  give  you  a  detailed 
account  of  the  whole  matter,  and  of  the  motives  and  ends  which  have 
governed  all  parties. 

"  There  is,  as  you  are  probably  aware,  an  express  and  positive  law  of 
the  College,  that  no  Professor  shall  resign  his  office  withoiit  giving  one 
year's  previous  notice  to  the  Board  of  Trustees.  This  is  a  part  of  the 
stipulated  condition  on  which  he  holds  his  place  ;  and  imposes  on  him  a 
moral  obligation,  from  which  he  cannot  be  released  but  by  the  consent 
of  the  Board.  When  that  body  met,  in  November  last,  I  transmitted 
them  a  letter,  in  which  I  begged  leave  to  resign  my  Professorship,  the 
resignation  to  take  effect  immediately  after  Commencement,  so  that  I 
might  reach  Baltimore  by  the  middle  of  December ;  agreeing,  at  the 
same  time,  to  remain  until  the  1st  of  January,  if  they  thought  it  abso 
lutely  necessary.  I  deprecated,  in  that  letter,  the  severity  of  holding  me 
to  the  one  year's  notice,  as  altogether  unprecedented ;  as  unnecessary,  in 
the  present  case,  as  the  ends  of  that  notice  had  been  abundantly  an 
swered.  I  had  no"  idea  that  any  other  action  would  be  taken,  than  that  of 
formally  accepting  my  resignation,  and  dismissing  me,  at  once,  from  the 
College.  Just  about  one  hour  before  the  Board  was  to  meet,  the  gentle 
man  to  whom  I  had  entrusted  my  letter,  in  a  casual  interview,  which  did 
not  last  five  minutes,  obs'erved  to  me  :  '  I  have  read  your  letter,  and  find 
that  you  will  regard  it  as  an  act  of  ungenerous  harshness  to  be  held  to 
the  legal  notice.  I  merely  wish  to  say  to  you,  that  I  shall  use  all  my  in 
fluence  to  hold  you  to  the  law ;  and  I  am  anxious  that  you  should  under 
stand  that  I  mean  no  unkindness  to  you  personally,  but  am  governed,  as 
I  trust,  by  the  fear  of  God,  and  a  solemn  sense  of  public  duty.'  I  replied 
to  him,  that  I  knew  he  was  incapable  of  doing  an  intentional  unkindness 
to  any  one,  much  less  to  me ;  and,  in  the  present  case,  I  coiild  afford  to 


274:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

be  generous,  since  he  would  only  lose  his  breath  and  his  pains ;  and,  in 
parting  with  him,  ridiculed  the  futility,  the  utter  idleness,  of  his  project. 
So  sanguine,  indeed,  was  I,  that  the  Board  would  at  once  dismiss  me, 
that  I  had  made  most  of  my  arrangements  for  leaving.  I  had  sold  a  con 
siderable  part  of  my  furniture,  had  disposed  of  my  servants  for  the 
ensuing  year,  and  settled  such  of  my  worldly  business  as  required  imme 
diate  adjustment.  I  never  dreamed  that  any  human  being  would  think 
of  detaining  me  ;  and  the  only  intimation  which  I  received  was  the  one 
I  have  mentioned,  given  about  an  hour  before  the  meeting  of  the  Board. 
The  argument,  in  my  letter,  against  such  a  course,  I  considered  as  ample 
and  complete.  You  may  judge  of  the  light  in  which  I  regarded  the  pro 
position,  from  the  fact  of  my  making  it  a  matter  of  jest  in  the  family, 
after  the  interview  referred  to. 

"  The  Board  met ;  and  the  next  day  I  received  a  letter  from  the  Sec 
retary,  stating  that  my  resignation  had  been  laid  on  the  table.  I  found, 
upon  inquiry,  that  many  of  the  best  men  in  the  Board  were  disposed  to 
hold  me,  on  the  legal  technicality  by  which  I  was  bound.  The  whole 
matter,  then,  struck  me  as  a  serious  affair.  I  made  it  a  matter  of  calm 
reflection  atid  earnest  prayer.  The  men  who  were  principally  moving  in 
this  business,  were  men  of  God,  distinguished  equally  by  generosity  and 
piety.  They  had  prayed  over  this  thing,  and  were  evidently  governed 
by  a  solemn  sense  of  public  duty.  The  conclusion  to  \vhich  I  came  was 
this  :  I  shall  quietly  leave  the  result  to  the  Providence  of  God.  If  He 
permits  these  men  to  enforce  upon  me  a  legal  claim,  which  creates  a 
moral  obligation  in  me  to  stay  in  the  State,  it  is  His  will  that  I  should 
not  go  to  Baltimore  ;  for  He  would  never  sanction  my  breach  of  an  ex 
press  stipulation.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  His  will  that  I  should  go, 
He  can  turn  their  hearts,  as  the  rivers  of  water  are  turned,  and  induce 
them  to  accede  to  my  request.  I  therefore  kept  my  letter  before  them 
and  until  their  action  was  taken,  I  was  fully  persuaded  that  I  would  be 
released,  though,  I  knew,  not  without  strong  opposition.  I  had  no 
agency  in  the  matter.  I  never  expressed  to  them  any  desire,  wish,  or 
inclination,  to  stay  ;  but  just  the  opposite.  I  prosecuted  the  resignation 
in  good  faith;  and  submitted,  in  the  end,  to  the  extraordinary  con 
clusion  which  was  reached  ;  because  I  believed  that  it  was  the  language 
of  God's  Providence  to  me,  forbidding  me  to  go.  In  your  letter  you 
seem  to  iiave  received  the  impression  that  the  Board  detained  me  because 
they  thought  I  desired  to  stay.  This  is  a  mistake.  No  such  desire, 
either  directly  or  indirectly,  was  either  expressed  by  me,  or  authorized 
to  be  expressed  by  any  one  else  for  me.  All  the  correspondence  which 
I  had  with  the  body  was  the  very  contrary.  I  have  inquired  into  the 
representations  which  were  made  by  the  mover  of  the  resolution  on  the 
subject,  and  it  can  be  abundantly  certified  that  he  disclaimed  acting  in 
consultation  with  me.  He  said  that  he  had  avoided  me,  to  keep  me  from 
hampering  him  in  what  he  believed  to  be  his  duty,  and  whatever  he  said 
or  did  in  the  premises  proceeded  solely  from  himself.  It  was,  therefore, 
wholly  and  exclusively,  their  act,  and  not  mine.  But,  being  done,  ray 


CALL  TO  BALTIMORE.  275 

duty  was  decided.  I  was  under  a  solemn  obligation  to  remain.  I  had 
made  a  contract  upon  taking  my  chair,  and  it  was  not  for  me  to  dissolve 

i4'  * 

"Before  proceeding  further,  I  want  to  remove  from  your  mind  the 

conviction  which  you  seem  to  feel,  that  the  Trustees  acted  towards  me 
in  bnd  faith.  If  this  were  granted,  however,  I  do  not  see  that  it  annuls 
my  obligation  to  act  towards  them  in  good  faith ;  but  still,  I  think  a  full 
review  of  all  the  circumstances  will  vindicate  their  honour  from  all  sus 
picion.  In  the  spring,  I  had  drawn  up  a  full  communication,  setting 
forth  grievances  under  which  I  laboured  in  the  Chapel,  and  suggesting 
various  remedies ;  stating,  at  the  same  that,  as  I  would  be  absent  from 
the  State  when  the  Board  met,  and  could  not  be  made  acquainted  with 
its  action  until  it  had  adjourned ;  and  as,  moreover,  I  could  not  consent 
to  retain  my  connection  with  the  College,  if  such  grievances  were  per 
mitted  to  continue,  I  begged  them  to  regard  the  communication  as  a 
notice  of  my  intention  to  resign,  at  the  end  of  the  year,  unless  they  could 
do  something  effective  in  the  premises.  This  communication  I  handed 
to  a  friend  to  give  to  the  Board,  he  being  himself  a  member.  He  begged 
me  to  withhold  it,  as  it  would  do  mischief  to  have  the  report  circulated 
that  I  proposed  to  leave  the  institution  :  and  assured  me  that,  as  there 
had  never  been  any  difficulty  in  past  cases,  so  there  would  probably  be 
none  in  this  ;  and  so  far  as  his  influence  went,  there  should  be  none  in 
giving  me  leave  to  resign  at  the  end  of  the  year,  if  my  difficulties  were 
not  removed.  .Such  was  the  pledge.  At  that  time  I  had  no  idea  any 
thing  would  be  done,  or  could  be  done,  to  amend  the  law.  I  expected 
my  suggestions  to  meet  such  opposition  in  the  Board,  or  if  adopted 
there,  to  be  so  feebly  supported  by  the  President,  that  I  had  deliberately 
come  to  the  conclusion,  that,  under  all  the  circumstances,  I  ought  to 
leave.  But  the  Board  have  met  me  here  by  enacting  my  suggestions 
into  a  law,  and  by  giving  a  President  to  the  College  who  can  enforce  the 
law.  The  Board,  therefore,  has  exonerated  itself  from  the  implied 
pledge  of  one  of  its  members.  It  has  even  gone  farther,  and  voted  an 
appropriation  to  render  my  place  of  preaching  much  more  elegantly 
comfortable  and  inviting  than  it  is  now.  All  these  things  have  been 
done  mainly  on  my  account.  I  have  gone  thus  into  detail,  in  order  that 
you  may  not  do  injustice,  even  in  your  thoughts,  to  the  best  body  of 
men  in  the  State.  That  Board  comprises  some  of  our  noblest  citizens, 
and  would  instinctively  shrink  from  doing  an  act  of  meanness.  That  I 
may  have  given  you,  in  Baltimore,  the  idea  that  I  meditated  an  absolute 
resignation,  is  very  likely ;  for  at  that  time  such  was  the  fact ;  that  I 
may  also  have  led  you  to  believe  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  the  way, 
is  equally  likely,  for  such  I  then  also  believed  to  be  the  fact.  There  never 
had  been  difficulty  in  any  previous  case;  and  the  implied  pledge  to 
which  I  have  alluded,  showed  that  the  gentleman  who  made  it  dreamed 
of  no  such  difficulty.  Upon  reviewing  all  the  circumstances,  two  things 
seem  perfectly  clear :  1.  The  Board  had  a  tigal  right  to  detain  me  ; 
and,  2.  I  was  under  a  moral  obligation,  growing  out  of  my  own  stipula- 


276  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

tions,  to  stay,  unless  they  were  willing  to  let  me  go.  Such,  as  it  strikes 
my  mind,  is  the  aspect  of  the  case  between  me  and  the  church  at  Balti 
more.  4 

' '  In  the  first  place,  that  congregation  knew  of  the  existence  of  the  law 
in  question  ;  and  if  they  looked  upon  it  as  a  dead  letter,  they  did  it  for 
the  reasons  that  have  been  mentioned  :  the  fact  that  it  never  had  been 
enforced  in  any  previous  case.  This  rendered  its  future  enforcement 
improbable,  but  not  impossible.  Previous  lenity  did  not  destroy  the 
right  of  the  Board.  They  called  me,  therefore,  subject  to  an  obligation 
which  was  not  likely  to  be  enforced,  but  yet  which  might  be  enforced. 
I  mentioned  the  fact,  that  such  a  law  existed,  to  every  member  of  that 
congregation  who  gave  me  the  opportunity  ;  and  in  every  instance  stated 
the  other  fact,  that  it  had  always  lain  dormant.  They  knew,  therefore, 
just  as  much  as  I  did,  the  real  posture  of  affairs.  They  attached  no  im 
portance  to  the  law.  Neither  did  I.  They  acted  upon  the  supposition  that 
I  would  be  released  on  the  first  of  January.  So  did  I.  Our  conduct 
was  predicated  on  the  same  premises ;  but  our  false  conclusions  did  not 
destroy  the  reality  of  the  law,  nor  the  corresponding  right  of  the  Board ; 
and,  therefore,  my  obligation  to  the  church  was  strictly  conditional. 
My  acceptance  was  predicated  on  its  not  conflicting  with  any  other  duties. 
If  the  Board  had  met  before  the  call  was  prosecuted  in  Presbytery,  I 
should  have  applied  to  it  for  a  release  before  answering  ;  but  as  it  could 
not  meet  before  the  last  of  November,  I  answered  upon  the  best  light 
I  had.  That  my  answer,  was  conditional,  is  shown  from  the  fact,  that  I 
expressly  told  the  church  that  I  could  not  go  until  released ;  that  the  re 
lease  would  not  take  place  until  the  meeting  of  the  Board ;  that  it  was 
not  likely  to  be  granted  to  take  effect  before  the  first  of  January ;  and 
that  they  must  wait  until  then,  when  I  had  no  doubt  of  the  issue.  This 
whole  process  implied  a  conditional  engagement;  and  the  anticipated 
condition  having  failed,  the  obligation,  of  course,  ceases.  This  is  the 
light  in  which  the  thing  strikes  me. 

"  But  put  the  affair  in  a  stronger  point  of  view.  Suppose  the  church  had 
known  nothing  of  the  law,  and  that  I  had  merely  stated  to  it  my  convic 
tions  that  I  could  go  at  the  close  of  the  year,  without  stating  the  grounds  ; 
even  in  that  case,  my  obligation  would  have  been  conditional.  The  rea 
son  is,  that  our  Book  of  Discipline  supposes  that  a  call  is  open  to  recon 
sideration  and  review,  at  any  time  from  the  period  of  its  prosecution,  up 
to  its  consummation  in  the  installation  of  the  pastor.  Hence  the  ques 
tion  is  distinctly  put,  '  Are  you  now  willing,  &c. '  His  previous  states  of 
mind  do  not  settle  the  duty  of  Presbytery,  nor  his  own  ;  it  is  his  pre 
sent  state  of  mind  that  fixes  the  thing.  He  is  bound,  in  other  words, 
to  do  what  seems  to  be  the  will  of  God ;  and  if,  after  the  acceptance  of 
a  call,  circumstances  should  arise  to  change  his  impressions  of  the  lead 
ings  of  Providence,  he  is  bound  to  withdraw  that  acceptance.  The 
whole  matter  is  open  for  new  light,  until  the  pastoral  relation  has 
been  actually  established.  When  he  accepts,  he  declares  what  he  feels 
to  be  his  duty  then;  but  the  Book  evidently  contemplates  the  possi- 


CALL  TO  BALTIMORE.  277 

bility  of  change  or  mistake,  and  hence  does  not  impose  an  absolute,  but 
a  qualified,  obligation. 

"In  conformity  with  these  suggestions,  if  I  had  accepted  the  Balti 
more  call,  under  the  full  conviction  that  there  was  no  let  nor  hindrance  in 
the  way,  and  afterwards  found  that  there  was,  my  previous  acceptance 
would  not  have  bound  me.  It  was  predicated  implicitly,  if  not  ex 
pressly,  upon  a  condition,  which  is  afterwards  ascertained  to  be  false 
in  fact.  A  church,  in  calling  a  pastor,  endeavours  to  obey  the  will  of 
God ;  a  pastor,  in  accepting,  aims  at  the  same  rule.  They  both  follow 
the  indications  of  Providence,  and  their  mutual  acts  are  formal  expres 
sions  of  the  light  in  which  they  regard  those  indications.  Now,  should 
anything  transpire  which  marks  this  conclusion  as  evidently  repugnant 
to  the  Divine  will,  the  matter  is  ended ;  no  obligation  exists  on  either 
side,  except  to  follow  the  clearest  light.  Apply  these  principles  here. 
The  people  of  Baltimore,  in  obedience  to  the  will  of  God,  as  they  sup 
pose,  call  me  to  be  the  pastor.  I  believe  that  I  ought  to  accept,  and 
accordingly  engage  to  do  so.  An  event  takes  place,  which  shows  that 
I  cannot  go  to  Baltimore  without  the  breach  of  a  moral  obligation. 
This  settles  it,  that  it  is  not  the  Divine  will  that  I  should  go.  They  then 
cease  to  be  bound  by  the  call,  and  I  by  the  acceptance. 

"Now,  the  Jight  in  which  I  regard  .the  action  of  the  Board,  is  the 
closing  event  in  the  series  of  Providences,  by  which  my  duty  was  to  be 
finally  ascertained.  God  had  conducted  both  parties  up  to  this  point, 
by  a  way  they  knew  not ;  and  here  He  reveals  the  line  of  duty  so  plainly, 
that  there  could  be  no  possibility  of  mistake.  It  is  His  hand  that  I 
contemplate  in  the  matter,  and  not  the  authority  of  a  civil  corporation. 
And  this  suggests  a  difficulty  in  your  mind,  which  I  must  endeavour  to 
clear  up.  You  insinuate  that,  in  yielding  to  this  action,  I  yield  to  civil, 
rather  than  ecclesiastical,  authority,  in  a  spiritual  matter.  The  mistake 
is  this :  It  is  my  own  promise,  my  own  solemn  compact,  that  I  respect, 
and  not  authority.  I  do  not  stay  because  the  Board  says,  '  You  must 
stay ;;  but  because  I  myself  had  virtually  promised  to  stay.  It  is  my 
contract,  and  not  their  power,  that  I  reverence  in  the  matter.  Again, 
you  are  mistaken  in  supposing  that  this  affair,  in  any  of  its  present  aspects, 
was  ever  adjudicated  in  any  Church  court.  The  Presbytery  of  Charles 
ton  deliberated  on  the  call  two  nights  ;  the  Second  Presbyterian  church 
of  that  city  entered  a  solemn  remonstrance  upon  the  minutes  of  Presby 
tery  against  its  prosecution ;  and  the  issue  which  the  Presbytery  de 
cided  was,  that  I  had  better  go  to  Baltimore  than  to  Charleston,  where 
an  effort  was  then  making  to  get  me.  But  the  opinion  of  the  Presby 
tery,  so  far  as  expressed,  which  was  informally,  and  not  judicially  done, 
was,  that  I  had  better  remain  in  the  College  than  go  to  either  place. 

"I  protested  against  staying  in  the  College,  then;  because,  under  the 
President  we  had,  and  the  laws  that  existed.  I  considered  my  labours  as 
seriously  hindered.  No  change  in  the  College  was  proposed,  but  that 
of  making  me  President ;  and  my  mind  was  immovably  set  against  that. 
My  purpose,  therefore,  was  absolute,  to  leave  if  I  could ;  and  under 


278         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

that  state  of  the  case,  the  Presbytery  said,  go  to  Baltimore.  When  the 
Board  had  acted,  there  was  a  talk  here  of  calling  a  pro  re  nata  meeting 
of  Presbytery,  to  express  its  approval  of  that  course,  and  urge  upon  me 
to  stay.  The  church  in  Carolina  is  delighted  with  the  result,  and  clear, 
so  far  as  I  have  heard,  as  to  my  duty.  This  is  the  aspect  of  the  case, 
ecclesiastically. 

"  One  word  more  about  the  Board.  It  acted  from  a  solemn  sense  of 
duty.  Under  the  existing  administration,  the  affairs  of  the  College  had 
reached  a  crisis.  Public  sentiment  was  strongly  against  it.  That  sen 
timent  was  largely  called  out  by  my  projected  removal.  The  people 
would,  perhaps,  have  submitted,  if  they  could  have  kept  me  ;  but  when 
it  was  found  that  I  was  going,  the  tide  set  in  with  greater  fury.  A 
change  was  made  ;  but  a  new  experiment  required  tae  co-operation  of 
an  experienced  friend ;  and  the  Board  felt  that  their  high  and  paramount 
duty,  as  Trustees,  required  them  to  use  every  lawful  means  of  preserving 
my  influence,  and  attracting  to  the  College  the  confidence  which  the 
people  felt  in  me.  They  determined,  therefore,  if  I  went,  to  throw  the 
whole  responsibility  of  going  upon  me ;  and  they  were  careful  to  re 
move  all  the  difficulties  which  had  originally  excited  my  dissatisfaction. 
They,  no  doubt,  largely  overrated  my  importance ;  but  what  they  did 
was  the  offspring  of  honourable  motives,  and  in  the  due  execution,  as 
they  believed,  of  a  solemn  trust.  They  had  never  enforced  the  law  be 
fore  ;  because  they  had  never  had  such  a  case.  To  fill  my  place  this 
year,  was  out  of  the  question.  It  required  a  prudence  and  circumspec 
tion,  the  conditions  of  which  were  satisfied  in  no  candidate  that  offered ; 
and  to  leave  the  place  vacant  for  a  year  was  equally  ruinous.  They  had 
only  the  alternative  of  enforcing  the  law,  and  thus  keeping,  or  doing 
what  was  in  their  power  to  keep,  a  man  with  whom  they  were  satisfied. 

' '  I  need  not  say  that  I  have  felt  deeply  for  the  condition  of  the  Bal 
timore  people.  My  heart  had  been  much  set  upon  that  field  of  labour ; 
and  I  never  was  more  surprised,  disappointed,  confounded,  than  by  the 
course  which  things  have  actually  taken.  But  my  conscience  is  clear. 
I  regret  the  past,  but  I  have  no  remorse.  From  first  to  last,  I  have  acted 
in  good  faith  ;  and,  if  I  know  my  own  heart,  I  have  as  humbly,  patiently, 
and  prayerfully  endeavoured  to  ascertain  the  will  of  God,  as  I  ever  did 
anything  in  my  life ;  and  whatever  may  be  the  lamentations  of  my 
friends,  or  the  censures  and  reproaches  of  my  enemies,  I  feel  that  I  have 
learned  and  obeyed  the  voice  of  niy  Heavenly  Father  in  the  final  result. 
I  cannot  persuade  myself  that  the  church  has  been  injured  ;  it  has  been 
kept  together  by  the  prospect  of  my  going ;  it  has  been  able  to  save  a 
portion  of  its  income ;  and  is,  upon  the  whole,  in  no  worse  condition 
than  if  I  had  refused  the  call  at  first.  Whatever  divisions  may  take  place 
now,  are  divisions  that  would  probably  have  taken  place  then.  It  stands, 
as  I  conceive,  about  where  it  stood  before  the  call  was  prosecuted.  What 
I  most  regret,  is  the  possible  loss  of  their  personal  affections.  They  may 
be  induced  to  view  the  matter  as  you  have  done,  and  attach  to  me  a  de 
gree  of  blame  which  your  charity  does  not  allow  you  to  pronounce.  If 


CALL  TO  BALTIMORE.  279 

the  righteous  smite  me,  however,  I  hope  to  take  it  as  an  excellent  oil, 
that  shall  not  break  my  head.  I  had  hoped  that  you  would  xinderstand 
the  matter  at  once,  and  would  aid  me  in  relieving  their  minds  of  any 
unfavourable  misapprehensions ;  and  had,  accordingly,  intended  to  write 
to  you  upon  the  subject,  as  soon  as  my  family  afflictions  would  permit. 
But  upon  your  aid,  I  am  afraid,  I  cannot  reckon.  Let  me  beg  you  to 
review  the  whole  thing,  calmly  and  prayerfully.  In  fact,  I  know  you 
will  do  it ;  and  I  know  that,  whatever  you  may  think  of  the  propriety  of 
the  course,  in  itself  considered,  you  will  do  me  the  justice  to  believe 
that  I  have,  at  least,  acted  honestly,  and  humbly  aimed  to  discharge  my 
duty.  You  may  condemn  my  judgment ;'  but  I  am  confident  that  you 
have  seen  too  much  of  me  to  question  my  integrity.  Thank  God,  my 
record  in  this  matter  is  on  high ! 

"The  deep  affliction  of  my  family,  which,  under  any  decision,  would 
have  rendered  a  removal,  at  the  projected  time,  impossible — and 
dangero\is  in  any  time  of  the  winter — has  struck  me  with  great  force. 
The  action  of  the  Board  has  been  a  mercy  to  my  wife.  Her  physician 
told  me,  before  he  heard  what  was  done,  that  I  must  not  think  of 
taking  her  to  Baltimore  this  winter.  The  condition  in  which  she  is, 
coiipled  with  the  state  in  which  the  fever  was  likely  to  leave  her,  if  she 
recovered,  rendered  the  change  hazardous  in  the  extreme. 

"I  am  rejoiced  to  learn  that  your  institution  flourishes  under  your 
auspices,  and  trust  that  God  may  impart  rich  and  abundant  consolation 
to  your  inner  man. 

"The  Board  of  Trustees  has  informally  requested  me  to  prepare  a 
work  on  Moral  Philosophy ;  and  I  have  a  mind  to  undertake  the  task. 
Any  suggestions  that  you  may  make,  either  in  regard  to  defects  in  ex 
isting  treatises,  or  as  to  what  a  treatise  on  the  subject  should  be,  will  be 
very  thankfully  received.  Let  me  hear  from  you  often  ;  the  oftener,  the 
better.  I  am  always  refreshed  by  a  letter  from  you,  even  if  it  condemns ; 
for  its  censures  are  proofs  of  love. 

"May  God  be  with  you,  and  bless  you. 

"Your  faithful  friend, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

The  church  in  Baltimore  felt  no  inclination  to  abandon 
its  claim,  and  resolved  to  wait  for  his  coming  at  the  ex 
piration  of  the  year.  The  effect  of  this  determination 
upon  Dr.  Thornwell's  mind  is  thus  stated  by  himself,  in  a 
letter  to  Dr.  Breckinridge  : 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  February  17,  1846. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  received  your  very  kind  letter  a  few  weeks  ago ; 
and  since  that  time,  things  have  undergone  a  great  and  unexpected 
change.  You  have  probably  heard  of  the  action  of  yo\ir  old  charge,  in 
refusing  to  abandon  their  call ;  and,  after  the  most  prayerful  and  delibe- 


280  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

rate  reflection,  I  feel  myself  shut  up  to  the  necessity  of  going  to  Balti 
more.  To  me,  the  hand  of  God  seems  to  be  conspicuously  displayed ; 
and  though  I  had  supposed  that  the  whole  matter  was  settled,  finally 
and  definitely  settled,  in  another  way,  and  had  begun  to  shape  my  ar 
rangements  accordingly,  I  am  now  clear,  that,  let  the  sacrifices  be  what 
they  may,  it  is  my  imperative  duty  to  accept  the  call  of  your  old  flock. 
I  shall  not  attempt  to  unfold  the  reasons  ;  suffice  it  to  say,  that  I  felt 
my  honour  implicated  when  the  Providential  hindrances,  which  I  had 
regarded  as  an  immovable  bar,  was  not  permitted  to  be  a  final  obstruc 
tion  by  the  church.  I  shall  transfer  my  family  to  Baltimore  on  the  first 
•  of  July,  spend  the  summer  there,  and  then,  if  no  other  arrangement 
shall  be  made,  return  myself  in  October,  and  remain  until  Commence 
ment.  It  will  give  me  great  pleasure  to  meet  you  there,  and  have  you 
join  with  me  in  a  series  of  labours  to  promote  the  spiritual  interests  of 
those  who,  on  so  many  accounts,  must  be  dear  to  you  ;  and  it  would  add 
to  the  pleasure,  if  I  could  get  you  to  accompany  me  here,  and  attend 
our  Commencement  exercises,  the  last,  perhaps,  in  which  7  shall  ever  be 
officially  engaged,  and  the  first  in  which  Colonel  Preston  has  been  called 
to  preside.  You  may  feel  some  curiosity  to  know  what  I  think  of  his 
prospects,  and  I  can  say  with  confidence,  that  I  regard  them  as  eminently 
promising.  He  possesses  rare  qualifications  for  the  office  he  holds.  His 
personal  dignity  inspires  respect ;  the  elevation  of  his  character  gives 
him  security,  and  adds  great  authority  to  his  counsels  or  reproofs  ;  and 
the  fire  of  his  genius  is  communicated  to  his  pupils,  kindling  a  blaze  of 
enthusiasm  in  their  minds,  and  making  the  business  of  instruction  de 
lightful  alike  to  the  teacher  and  the  taught.  The  students  are  wonder 
fully  attached  to  him ;  and  I  am  sure  that,  under  his  auspices,  if  God 
should  spare  his  health,  which,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  is  still  feeble,  our 
institution  will  soon  be  attended  by  a  larger  number  of  students  than  its 
most  sanguine  friends  ever  dreamed  it  would  possess.  There  is  but  one 
drawback,  in  my  view,  upon  his  eminent  fitness  for  the  station ;  and 
that  is,  the  absence  of  personal  religion.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  he 
is  not,  in  a  general  sense,  a  religious  man  ;  but  I  have  no  reason  to  be 
lieve  that  he  is  what  you  and  I  would  call  a  converted  man.*  His  influ 
ence  is  in  favour  of  religion,  as  far  as  it  is  possible  that  he  who  is  not 
with  Christ  in  heart  can  be  with  Him  in  act.  What  his  religious  senti 
ments  precisely  are,  I  do  not  know ;  but  one  thing  is  certain,  his  station 
requires  him  to  attend  the  Chapel,  and  there  I  am  sure  he  hears  the  gos 
pel.  There  are  many  respects  in  which  his  connection  with  the  College 
is  likely  to  prove  a  permanent  blessing  to  the  State.  He  has  a  weight 
of  character  which  will  enable  him  to  effect  many  salutary  reforms, 
which  feebler  men  would  be  incompetent  to  exercise  ;  and  he  has  a  prac 
tical  wisdom,  from  his  enlarged  acquaintance  with  the  world,  which 
saves  him  from  all  rash  projects,  and  merely  chimerical  speculations. 
My  impression  is,  that  he  is  the  only  man  in  the  State  who  could  have 
filled  the  station  just  at  this  juncture  ;  and  I  am  heartily  rejoiced  that 

*  At  a  later  period,  he  became  a  communicant  in  the  Episcopal  Church. 


CALL  TO  BALTIMORE.  281 

•God  sent  him  to  us,  and  earnestly  pray  that  he  may  be  brought,  through 
grace,  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ. 

"  The  prospect  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  this  State,  is  to  me  a 
matter  of  intense  and  painful  interest.  Our  large  congregations  in  the 
country  are  becoming  very  much  enfeebled,  by  emigration,  and  their 
reluctance  to  support  the  ministry  is  still  more  discouraging.  There 
prevails  a  deplorably  low  tone  of  personal  religion,  and  the  idea  of 
making  anything  like  sacrifices  to  sustain  the  institutions  of  the  gospel, 
seems  to  be  foreign  from  their  minds.  Unless  a  radical  change  should 
take  place,  it  seems  to  me  that  our  churches  must  die  out  in  many  sec 
tions  of  the  country.  I  contemplate  the  prospect  with  dismay.  What 
is  to  be  done  ?  What  are  the  means  that  we  must  couple  with  prayer, 
to  stir  up  the  slumbering  piety  of  those  who  are  God's  children,  and 
waken  a  deeper  and  more  absorbing  interest  in  the  prosperity  of  His 
kingdom  ?  We  present  the  appearance  of  a  spiritual  waste ;  and  my 
heart  sickens,  as  I  reflect  upon  what  must  be  before  us,  unless  God,  in 
great  mercj,  should  revive  His  work. 

"  Your  sincere  and  faithful  friend, 

J.  H.  THOENWELL." 


The  removal  to  Baltimore  was  destined  to  be  finally 
defeated.  A  short  time  before  the  meeting  of  the  Pres 
bytery,  in  the  spring  of  1846,  the  President  of  the  Col 
lege  waited  upon  the  writer  of  these  pages;  and  the  in 
terview  deserves  to  be  recorded,  as  an  evidence  of  the 
estimation  in  which  the  subject  of  this  Memoir  was  held 
by  the  most  gifted  men  in  the  State.  "We  cannot  af 
ford,"  said  Colonel  Preston,  "to  lose  Dr.  Thornwell  from 
the  College.  In  the  first  place,  he  is  the  representative 
there  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  which  embraces  the 
bone  and  sinew  of  the  State,  without  whose  support  the 
institution  cannot  exist.  In  the  second  place,  he  has  ac 
quired  that  moral  influence  over  the  students,  which  is 
superior  even  to  law;  and  his  removal  will  take  away  the 
very  buttresses  on  which  the  administration  of  the  Col 
lege  rests.  An  arrest  has  been  laid  upon  his  movements, 
as  you  are  aware ;  but  at  the  end  of  the  year,  the  autho 
rity  of  the  Board  ceases.  There  is  no  body  that  has 
jurisdiction  over  him,  except  the  Church;  and  I  have 
called  to  invoke  her  interposition,  if  there  be  any  form 
in  which  her  control  may  properly  be  exercised."  To 


282  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

which  appeal  the  writer  replied  by  drawing  a  paper  from 
his  desk,  saying,  "  There,  Colonel  Preston,  is  the  draft 
of  a  paper,  which  I  have  prepared  to  submit  to  the  Pres 
bytery,  at  its  approaching  meeting.  That  body  will  be 
in  full  sympathy  with  the  object  which  is  intended  to  be 
accomplished;  but  I  cannot  tell  whether  it  will  agree 
writh  me  as  to  the  stretch  of  power  which  is  there  claimed. 
Dr.  Thornwell  expects  nothing  else  than  to  go  to  Balti 
more,  to  which  he  evidently  feels  himself  shut  up,  by  a 
sense  of  honour.  I  have  not  consulted  him  in  relation 
to  this  paper ;  and  have  rather  avoided,  in  my  inter 
course  with  him.  all  allusion  to  his  plans,  that  I  might 
not  be  hampered  in  the  course  which  I  propose  to  pur 
sue."  The  paper,  above  referred  to,  was  submitted  to 
the  Presbytery  on  the  llth  of  April,  1846;  and  was 
amended,  and  finally  adopted  in  this  form: 


"The  Presbytery,  learning  through  the  public  prints,  that  the  ar 
rangement  proposed  by  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  Baltimore, 
and  one  of  its  Presbyters,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thornwell,  and  which  was  sus 
pended  by  the  action  of  the  Trustees  of  the  South  Carolina  College,  is, 
at  the  end  of  the  year,  to  be  consummated,  think  it  their  right  and 
duty  to  inquire  whether  there  has  not  intervened  siich  a  change  of  cir 
cumstances,  as  to  require  a  reconsideration  of  their  former  action  in  the 
matter 

*'  The  question  first  arises,  whether  the  Presbytery  has  not  lost  juris 
diction  of  the  case,  and  whether  the  papers  of  dismission  given  to  Dr. 
Thornwell  do  not  bar  all  further  consideration  of  his  removal.  In  1'ela- 
tion  to  this,  it  must  be  observed  that  the  Book  of  Discipline,  chapter 
10,  section  2,  distinctly  affirms  the  jurisdiction  of  Presbytery  over  dis 
missed  members,  until  such  moment  as  they  shall  become,  in  act  and  in 
form,  connected  with  a  co-ordinate  body.  Of  course,  then,  notwith 
standing  papers  of  dismission  were  given  in  October  last,  Dr.  Thornwell 
still  continues  a  member  of  this  Presbytery ;  which  has  entire  ecclesias 
tical  cognizance  of  his  conduct,  and  may  of  right  determine  the  pro 
priety  of  his  translation  to  another  sphere  of  labour. 

"It  may  be  further  observed,  that  a  call  is  inchoate,  until  consum 
mated  by  the  actual  connection  of  a  church  and  pastor ;  and  is  mani 
festly  subject  to  the  recision  of  any  or  all  the  parties,  if,  in  the  interim 
between  the  acceptance  of  the  call  and  the  act  of  installation,  such 
changes  occur  as  shall  modify  their  views  of  duty.  Now,  there  are 
three  parties  concerned  in  the  settlement  of  a  pastor :  the  church  mak- 


CALL  TO  BALTIMORE.  283 

ing  the  call,  the  Presbyter  called,  and  the  Presbytery  of  which  he  is  a 
member ;  the  consent  of  all  of  whom  must  be  obtained  in  effecting  the 
installation.  If,  then,  a  change  in  the  condition  and  view  of  the  first  two 
parties  may  arrest  a  call,  while  it  is  in  progress,  the  same  will  hold  true  ex 
equali  of  the  third  party  ;  and  if  the  call  should  providentially  be  sus 
pended,  for  so  long  a  time  as  to  allow  an  entire  change  in  those  circum 
stances  upon  which  that  third  party  gave  his  concurrence,  it  may  be 
their  most  imperative  duty  to  review  the  whole  case. 

"It  will  be  distinctly  remembered,  by  those  members  of  Presbytery 
who  were  present  at  the  pro-re-nata  meeting,  held  in  October,  that  the 
consent  of  this  body  to  the  removal  of  Dr.  Thornwell  was  predicated  solely 
upon  his  fi^xed  determination  to  leave  the  College  ;  the  only  real  question 
being,  whether  he  should  remove  to  Baltimore  or  elsewhere.  As  no 
other  door  of  usefulness  presented  itself  sufficiently  open,  the  call  was 
received,  and  placed  in  his  hands.  Since  that  time,  however,  important 
changes  have  taken  place  in  Dr.  Thornwell's  personal  relations  to  the 
College ;  which,  if  they  had  existed  at  the  "time,  must  have  exercised  a 
strong  influence  upon  his  determination  ;  and  his  opinion  of  his  own 
efficiency,  in  his  present  important  position,  may  be  modified  by  the  de 
velopments  of  a  year.  In  addition  to  this,  within  the  present  year,  an 
important  enterprise  has  been  set  on  foot  within  the  bounds  of  this 
Synod,  of  vast  consequence  to  the  Church ;  and  it  is  the  deliberate  con 
viction  of  this  Presbytery,  that  the  complete  establishment  and  f urther 
prosperity  of  the  Theological  Seminary  will  be  greatly  promoted  by  our 
brother's  continued  residence  and  labours  within  our  own  bounds,  where 
he  may  exert  a  direct  influence  in 'favour  of  this  institution. 

"Be  it,  therefore,  Resolved: 

"  1.  That,  in  view  of  the  changes  which  have  occurred  since  last  Oc 
tober — changes  which  would  have  affected  materially  the  decision  of  this 
body  as  to  his  removal,  had  they  taken  place  at  the  time — this  Presby 
tery,  in  duty  to  themselves,  and  to  the  Christian  public,  are  unwilling  to 
consent  to  Dr.  Thornwell's  transfer  to  Baltimore. 

"  2.  That  the  fields  of  labour  now  opening,  in  the  providence  of  God. 
before  our  brother,  in  our  own  bounds,  afford  most  ample  scope  for  his 
ability  and  learning.  And  it  is  the  most  deliberate  judgment  of  this 
body,  in  view  of  the  necessities  of  the  Church  within  this  State,  of  the 
movements  which  are  now  on  foot  amongst  us,  and  of  the  status  which 
he  has  acquired  in  this  portion  of  the  Church,  that  he  should  not  remove 
without  the  limits  of  this  Synod. 

"3.  That  a  communication  be  addressed  to  the  church  at  Baltimore, 
stating  these  views,  and  requesting  their  concurrence  in  them  ;  desiring 
them  to  release  Dr.  Thornwell  from  his  present  obligation ;  or,  if  they 
are  unwilling  to  do  so,  at  least  to  show  cause,  either  to  this  body,  or  to 
the  Synod,  at  its  next  meeting,  for  their  desire  to  continue  to  urge  their 
call"* 

*  Minutes  of  the  Presbytery  of  Charleston,  pp.  403-406. 


284:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

A  silent  acquiescence  in  this  decision  closed  the  nego 
tiations  with  Baltimore;  and  Dr.  Thornwell's  connection 
with  the  College  was  continued.  It  is  the  strongest  illus 
tration  of  Presby terial  power  of  which  the  writer  is  aware. 
Many  instances  occur,  in  which  the  Church  courts  have 
exercised  a  veto,  thereby  disappointing  the  wishes  both 
of  ministers  and  of  churches ;  but  it  is  usual  only  in  cases 
actually  pending.  This  action,  however,  cancelled  a  call 
which  had  already  been  accepted,  and  revoked  a  dismis 
sion  which  had  already  been  granted;  and  did  not  pass 
without  some  criticism  at  the  time.  The  record  is  of 
value,  as  showing  that  Presbyterianism  is  a  government, 
and  the  Church  courts  are  something  more  than  advisory 
councils. 


CHAPTEK    XX. 
QUESTION  OF  ROMISH  BAPTISM. 

ASSEMBLY  OF  1845. — DEBATE  ON  ROMISH  BAPTISM. — IMPKESSIONS  or  THE 
WEST. — VIEWS  ON  ABOLITIONISM.— PATRIOTIC  FEELING. — "BIBLICAL 
REPERTORY  "  ON  ROMISH  BAPTISM. — ARTICLES  IN  REPLY. — CORRESPON 
DENCE  ON  THE  SAME. — LETTER  TO  COLONEL  PRESTON;  ALSO  TO  HIS 
CHILDREN.— PLANS  IN  RELATION  TO  THE  COLUMBIA  SEMINARY. — 
"SOUTHERN  PRESBYTERIAN  REVIEW"  PROJECTED. — ITS  OBJECTS  EX 
PLAINED.  . 

IIS"  the  year  1845,  Dr.  Thorn  well  was  returned  a  commis 
sioner  to  the  General  Assembly,  which  met  at  Cincin 
nati,  whose  decision,  on  at  least  two  important  subjects, 
he  assisted  largely  to  mould.  The  lirst  was  that  of 
slavery ;  upon  which  this  Assembly  made  a  deliverance  so 
temperate  and  well  guarded,  that  it  put  to  rest,  to  a  con 
siderable  degree,  the  hurtful  agitation  of  that  subject, 
and  formed  the  basis  upon  which  the  Church  continued 
to  stand  until  the  disruption  occasioned  by  the  late  civil 
war.  Dr.  Thornwell,  though  not  a  member  of  the  Com 
mittee  charged  with  this  matter,  was,  nevertheless,  pri 
vately  consulted;  and  his  views  were  largely  embodied 
in  the  Report,  which  was  finally  presented  and  adopted.* 
The  second  subject  related  to  the  validity  of  Romish 
baptism;  which  was  ably  discussed,  and  was  the  leading 
topic  that  engaged  the  attention  of  the  body.  Dr. 
Thornwell's  elaborate  argument  not  only  enhanced  his 
own  reputation  as  one  of  the  first  debaters  in  the  Church, 
but  was  admitted  by  all  parties  as  having  determined  the 
overwhelming  vote  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-three  to 
eight,t  against  the  recognition  of  such  baptism. 

*  See  Assembly's  Digest,  Edition  1856,  pp.  812,  813. 
t  Assembly's  Digest,  Edition  1856,  pp.  77-79  ;  where  may  be  found  a 
summary  of  reasons  for  the  decision. 

285 


286  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

These  matters  are  opened  in  a  letter,  written  at  the 
time,  to  Mrs.  Thornwell: 


"CINCINNATI,  May  19,  1845. 

MY  DEAKEST  WIFE  :  *  *  *  *  My  mind  is  in  a  state  of-  constant 
and  intense  excitement  connected  with  the  business  of  the  Assembly, 
Everything  thus  far  has  been  nobly  done.  The  spirit  which  pervades 
the  Assembly  seems  to  be  the  spirit  of  Christ  and  the  Gospel ;  and  I 
sincerely  trust  that  God  is  with  us,  guiding  and  directing-  us  in  all  our 
deliberations.  For  two  days  and  a  half,  we  have  been  discussing  the 
question,  whether  Roman  Catholic  baptism  is  valid  or  not?  I  made  a 
speech  to-day,  two  hours  long  ;  which  was  listened  to  with  breathless  at 
tention,  and,  from  what  I  can  gather,  is  likely  to  settle  the  question.  I 
have  a  host  of  applications  to  write  out  my  speech,  and  print  it,  which 
I  have  no  notion  of  doing.  It  has  made  me  the  subject  of  a  great  many 
undeserved  attentions,  which  I  would  not  otherwise,  perhaps,  have  re 
ceived. 

"  The  question  of  slavery  has  been  before  the  house,  and  referred  to 
a  special  committee  of  seven.  Though  not  a  member  of  the  committee, 
I  have  been  consulted  on  the  subject,  and  have  drawn  up  a  paper,  which 
I  think  the  committee  and  the  Assembly  will  substantially  adopt ;  and 
if  they  do,  abolitionism  will  be  killed  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  at 
least  for  the  present.  I  have  no  doubts  but  that  the  Assembly,  by 
a  very  large  majority,  will  declare  slavery  not  to  be  sinful,  will  assert 
that  it  is  sanctioned  by  the  word  of  God,  that  it  is  purely  a  civil  rela 
tion,  with  which  the  Church,  as  such,  has  no  right  to  interfere,  and 
that  abolitionism  is  essentially  wicked,  disorganizing,  and  ruinous.  I 
feel  perfectly  satisfied  that  this  is  the  stand  which  the  Assembly  will 
take.  The  Southern  members  have  invited  discussion,  and  they  will 
triumphantly  gain  the  day.  It  will  be  a  great  matter  to  put  the  agita 
tions  on  slavery  at  rest,  and  to  save  the  Church  from  dismemberment 
and  schism  ;  and  particularly  to  do  it  here,  in  the  stronghold  of  aboli 
tionism. 

"  The  marriage  question  will  come  up  to-morrow.  The  result  will  be, 
that  the  Assembly  will  maintain  its  former  ground,  and  enjoin  upon  the 
Church  courts  to  discipline,  in  every  case,  in  which  a  man  marries  his 
wife's  sister.  "Whether  the  Elder  question  will  come  up,  in  all  its  bear 
ings,  before  us,  I  cannot  say ;  but  we  have  so  much  to  do,  that  I  think 
it  will  not.  *  *  * 

"  I  have  had  a  delightful  time  among  all  the  brethren,  from  all  sections 
of  the  Church.  It  would  do  you  good  to  see  the  harmony,  courtesy,  and 
Christian  feeling,  which  characterize  the  Assembly.  God  grant  that  it 
may  not  be  disturbed  during  the  whole  course  of  our  business.  May 
God  bless  you  and  keep  you.  Kiss  the  children  for  me. 
' '  As  ever,  your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 


OF  ROMISH  BAPTISM.  287 

"P.  S. — Since  writing  the  above,  I  received  your  sweet  letter  from 
Abbeville,  and  devoutly  thank  God  that  you  are  all  getting  on  so  well. 
The  vote  on  Popish  baptism  has  passed  by  a  tremendous  majority,  only 
six  members,  out  of  one  hundred  and  eighty,  voting  against  it.  The 
committee  did  not  adopt  my  report  fully  on  slavery,  but  will  bring  in 
one  that  takes  nearly  the  same  position  ;  one  which  vindicates  the  South, 
and  will  put  the  question  at  rest.  *  *  *  My  speech  has  made  me  the 
object  of  general  attention  and  curiosity.  I  have  had  compliments, 
which  God  grant  may  not  injure  my  humility.  Let  me  hear  from  you 
soon,  find  often." 

The  letter  given  below  is  interesting,  not  only  as  con 
veying  his  impressions  of  the  West,  but  as  disclosing  his 
intense  love  for  the  whole  country,  and  the  ambitious 
dreams  he  indulged  of  its  expansion  and  glory.  It  is  ad 
dressed  to  his  wife,  from  Wheeling,  Va.,  and  is  dated  the 
14th  June,  1845  : 

"I  took  my  departure  from  Cincinnati,  for  Baltimore,  on  Thursday, 
at  11  o'clock  ;  and,  as  the  river  is  too  low  for  boats,  I  had  to  resort  to  the 
stage  coach.  I  have  been  travelling  now  two  nights  and  two  days, 
without  intermission,  except  for  meals,  in  crowded  coaches,  and  am  now 
fairly  tired  out.  I  got  to  this  place  this  morning,  and  shall  stay  here 
until  Monday ;  when  I  shall  have  to  take  a  stage  coach  again,  for  one 
hundred  and  thirty  miles,  to  Cumberland,  across  the  mountains ;  there  I 
shall  take  the  railroad  to  Baltimore,  where  I  shall  spend  the  remainder 
of  the  week.  ***** 

"Tiresome  as  it  has  been,  I  do  not  regret  that  I  had  to  travel  from 
Cincinnati  to  this  place  by  land.  It  has  given  me  an  opportunity  for 
seeing  the  country ;  and  I  would  not  have  missed  seeing  what  I  have 
seen,  and  hearing  what  I  have  heard,  for  a  great  deal.  My  impressions 
of  the  West  had  been  greatly  erroneous,  in  many  important  respects ; 
and  my  convictions  of  its  importance  are  greatly  increased.  The  more  I 
reflect  upon  the  subject,  the  more  I  am  satisfied  that  the  mission  of  our 
Republic  will  not  be  accomplished,  until  we  embrace  in  our  Union  the 
whole  of  this  North  American  continent.  If  the  New  England  people 
are  disposed  to  kick  up  a  dust  about  the  annexation  of  Texas,  I  am  pre 
pared  to  take  the  ground  that  it  would  be  better  for  this  country,  and  for 
the  interests  of  the  human  race,  to  give  up  New  England,  than  to 
abandon  any  new  territory  which  we  may  be  able  to  acquire.  I  go  for 
Texas ;  I  should  like  also  to  have  California ;  we  must  hold  on  to  Oregon, 
if  we  have  to  do  it  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet ;  and  I  would  be  glad  even 
to  get  Mexico  itself.  You  see  that  I  am  grasping  at  territory.  There 
must  be  a  grand  imperial  Republic  on  this  continent,  and  God  will  bring 
it  about,  and  accomplish  great  purposes  through  it.  As  to  disunion,  we 


288  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

have  nothing  serious  to  apprehend.  If  the  Yankees  feel  disposed  to 
leave  us,  let  them  go ;  but  the  West  and  the  South  can  never  be  sepa 
rated.  There  is  at  work,  in  this  land,  a  Yankee  spirit,  and  an  American 
spirit ;  and  the  latter  must  triumph.  But  enough  of  politics.  I  will  only 
add  that  abolitionism  is  a  humbug.  A  prudent  course,  on  the  part  of 
the  South,  will  kill  it  entirely.  We  have  done  the  North  and  West  in 
justice  on  this  subject.  Take  out  the  Yankees,  and  the  overwhelming 
force  of  public  opinion  is  with  the  South.  I  have  kept  my  eye  on  this 
matter,  and  know  what  I  say." 

It  could  hardly  be  expected  that  the  Assembly's  deci 
sion  upon  the  invalidity  of  Romish  baptism  would  pass 
without  challenge.  The  Princeton  Journal,  in  its  annual 
review  of  the  Assembly,  pronounced  with  great  emphasis 
against  the  doctrine  of  that  decree.  The  guantlet  was 
not  thrown  down  in  vain.  On  "the  4th  of  October,  Dr. 
Thornwell  thus  writes  to  Dr.  Breckinridge : 

"  It  seems  that  Princeton  has  fairly  turned  out  to  be  an  apologist  for 
Borne.  I  read  with  much  interest  a  series  of  articles  in  the  Herald  of 
Kentucky,  reviewing  the  Repertory,  which  I  attributed  to  you.  I  would 
have  written  something  myself  before  this,  ;  but  I  have  been  in  an  un 
settled  state  of  life,  moving  about  from  pillar  to  post,  until  last  week,' 
when  I  returned  home.  As  soon  as  I  can  command  leisure  enough,  I 
shah1  try  my  hand.  This  is  one  instance  in  which  the  fathers  and  brethren 
have  reckoned  without  their  host.  The  Church,  as  a  body,  is  dead 
against  them.  I  have  hot  seen  a  single  minister  who  does  not  condemn 
the  strictures  of  Hodge,  and  sustain  the  Assembly.  I  think  it  can  be 
clearly  shown  that  there  is  no  principle  on  which  Popish  baptism  can 
be  sustained,  that  will  not  apply  with  equal  force  to  any  baptisms,  reg 
ular  in  form,  administered  by  any  body  to  any  body.  Just  let  Tom, 
Dick,  and  Harry  apply  water,  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity,  to  the  first 
person  either  shall  meet  on  the  street,  and  intend  it  to  be  Christian  bap 
tism  ;  and  Christian  baptism,  according  to  Princeton,  it  is  and  must  be. 
I  have  examined  this  whole  subject  pretty  throughly,  and  shall  soon  be 
gin  to  write  in  the  Watchman  and  Observer.  Perhaps  Engles  may  copy 
the  article  into  the  Presbyterian." 

Again,  on  the  17th  of  February,  1846,  he  writes: 

"  I  have  screwed  up  my  courage  at  last  to  begin  my  projected  reply 
to  Princeton,  on  the  subject  of  Komish  Baptism.  My  article  will  ap 
pear  in  the  Observer  a-nd  Watchman  under  the  signature  of  'Henley,' 
which  is  my  middle  name.  I  have  treated  the  brethren  there  with  the 
respect  that  is  due  to  age  and  station.  Perhaps — for  the  heart  is  deceit- 


QUESTION  OF  ROMISH  BAPTISM.  289 

fill— there  may  be  something  of  policy  in  it.  My  object,  however,  has 
been  to  give  strong  arguments  and  soft  words.  My  first  number  does 
not  enter  into  the  marrow  of  the  subject ;  but  the  succeeding  ones,  un 
less  I  am  greatly  deceived,  will  not  be  so  easy  to  answer." 

A  series  of  articles  was  accordingly  begun,  in  fulfil 
ment  of  the  above  promise,  on  the  5th  of  March,  which 
were  afterwards  gathered  into  three  articles  for  the  South 
ern  Presbyterian  Review ',  and  may  be  found  by  the 
'reader  in  the  third  volume  of  Dr.  Thornwell's  published 
works.  They  go  down  into  all  the  principles  which  dis 
criminate  the  Romish  system  as  an  apostasy  from  the 
truth,  and  are  valuable  for  the  exposition  they  give  of 
the  great  doctrines  of  grace.  As  the  reply  was  directed 
against  the  gentlemen  at  Princeton,  the  discussion  was 
characterized  with  all  the  courtesy  that  was  due  to  their 
station  and  influence,  which  drew  from  his  friend,  Dr. 
Breckinridge,  a  rather  splenetic  note,  to  which  the  letter 
which  follows  is  the  rejoinder: 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  March  24,  1846. 

"  MY  DEAB  B  BOTHER  :  You  will,  perhaps,  be  astonished  at  my  mode 
ration,  when  I  tell  you  that,  though  deeply  wounded,  I  was  not  offended 
at  the  bitter,  and,  as  I  conceive,  unmerited  censure  of  your  last  letter. 
The  truth  is,  it  will  take  something  more  than  momentary  expressions, 
thrown  off  in  a  fit  of  spleen  or  excitement,  to  alienate  my  affections  from 
one  whose  life  has  been  distinguished  by  arduous  services  and  painful 
sacrifices,  in  the  cause  of  our  common  Master.  You  may  grievously 
misunderstand  me,  and  rank  my  name  in  a  catagory  to  which  it  does 
not  properly  belong.  This  is  the  bitterest  evil  of  life,  to  be  misappre 
hended  and  censured  by  those  whose  good  opinion  we  most  desire,  and 
in  regard  to  matters  in  which  we  most  deserve  it.  What  you  call  my 
'Eulogy  on  Princeton,'  is  a  conciliatory  introduction  to  a  series  of  arti 
cles,  in  which  Princeton  is  destined  to  figure  with  no  enviable  distinc 
tion.  The  expressions  are,  with  a  single  exception,  so  framed  as  to 
refer  to  the  personal  qualities  of  the  Fathers  there,  Drs.  Miller  and 
Alexander.  I  thought  it  advisable  to  let  them  see  that  they  were  held 
responsible,  as  well  as  Dr.  Hodge,  for  the  sentiments  of  the  Review; 
and  to  intimate  that  the  profound  veneration  which  was  felt  for  them 
personally,  instead  of  commending  their  apology  for  Home  to  the  re 
ception  of  the  Church,  had  only  inspired,  and  was  only  calculated  to 
inspire,  pity  for  themselves.  The  whole  tenor  of  the  exordium  exon 
erates  me  from  the  charge  of  personal  pique,  which  I  had  reason  to 


290         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

believe  would  be  attributed  to  me.  I  speak  of  the  article  as  written 
with  evident  ability,  and  an  ability  not  of  learning,  not  of  eloquence,  not 
of  argument,  but  of  sophistry.  The  expression  is  limited  to  the  'inge 
nuity  and  skill,'  with  which  the  writer  managed  his  materials,  the  best 
that  could  be  had.  That  I  intended  to  strengthen  the  influence  of 
Princeton,  is  just  the  reverse  of  my  real  object  in  the  whole  thing. 
While  I  gave  its  Professors  credit  for  piety,  learning,  and  every  Chris 
tian  quality ;  while,  in  other  words,  T  commended  them  as  men,  the 
whole  tenor  of  my  articles  is  against  the  doctrines  they  sustain ;  and  I 
think,  in  the  result,  you  will  find  that  they  have  produced  an  effect  any 
thing  but  favourable  to  the  Princeton  ascendency.  My  aim  is  to  break 
the  charm,  which  I  think  as  dangerous  as  you  do ;  and  I  have  so  man 
aged  my  attack  as  to  reach  the  very  persons  whom  we  ought  to  reach, 
•  the  admirers  of  Princeton.  They  will  see  that  this  is  not  a  personal  war; 
that  we  have  nothing  to  say  against  the  Fathers  and  brethren,  as  private 
men  and  Christians ;  that,  as  followers  of  Jesus,  we  love  them  ;  as  in 
error,  we  pity  them ;  but  that,  in  the  influence  which  they,  as  a  body, 
exert,  we  see  perils  which  must  be  resisted  and  averted.  Whether,  in 
this  respect,  I  have  judged  wisely,  the  event  will  prove ;  and  if  you  can 
so  overcome  your  disgust  as  to  read  the  articles  to  the  end  of  the  dis 
cussion,  you  will  probably  change  your  first  opinion,  and  be  fully  satis 
fied  that  I  have  transferred,  as  skilfully  as  it  should  be  done,  the  associa 
tions  against  Popery,  to  men  high  in  station,  who  keep  it  in  countenance. 
It  was  a  little  odd  that,  at  the  very  time  you  were  charging  me  with 
bolstering  up  Princeton,  I  was  pushing  ahead  an  enterprize  which  I 
was  induced  to  undertake,  from  a  deep  conviction  that  Princeton  must 
be  checked.  The  very  qualities  which  my  article  attributes  to  the  men 
are.  in  my  view,  the  qualities  which  make  their  errors  dangerous.  And 
as  I  believed  that  Princeton  had  pursued  a  disastrous  course  on  the  Elder 
question,  on  the  Romish  question,  and  in  regard  to  national  Societies, 
and  ought  to  be  checked,  I  could  devise,  at  present,  no  better  plan  of 
curtailing  her  influence  than  that  of  strengthening  the  hands  of  other 
Seminaries.  Hence,  I  set  on  foot  the  scheme  of  organiziug  our  own 
institution  more  perfectly.  The  thing  was  first  broached  to  me,  after 
repeated  interviews  with  brethren,  who  thought  as  I  do  upon  these 
points.  You  yourself  know  that  I  am  no  great  advocate  of  Theological 
Seminaries ;  but  as  the  Church  is  wedded  to  them,  I  am  willing,  as  the 
next  best  thing  that  can  be  done,  to  make  them  checks  upon  each  other. 
But  enough  of  this  matter.  Your  labours,  where  you  are,  must  be  re 
trenched,  or  your  health  will  be  ruined.  You  do  the  work  of  at  least 
three  men.  Could  you  be  induced  to  come  South  ?  The  third  Profes 
sorship  in  our  Seminary  here  will  be  fully  endowed  this  spring ;  and  we 
shall  have  to  elect  a  Professor  of  History  and  Church  Government  in  the 
fall.  My  attention  has  been  turned  to  yourself.  The  place,  in  many 
lespects,  will  be  pleasant;  and  it  will  be  a  fine  field  for  you,  until  Provi 
dence  shall  open  a  wider.  My  fixed  purpose,  in  regard  to  you,  is  to 
exert  what  influence  I  possess — should  I  be  alive  at  the  time,  and  you 


lit  KSTION  OF  ROMISH  BAPTISM.  291 

in  a  condition  of  health — to  transfer  you  to  the  same  department  in 
Princeton.      I  have  looked  upon  it  as  unlikely  that  you  would  ever 
again  become  a  pastor ;  and  a  position  of  this  sort  is  the  next  most  use 
ful,  and  is  one  eminently  adapted  to  your  talents. 
' '  Very  truly,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

The  hint  here  thrown  out,  of  placing  Dr.  Breckinridge 
in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Columbia,  was  doubtless 
suggested  by  the  fact  that  his  health  was  inadequate  to 
the  labours  of  his  position  at  Cannonsburgh.  It  was  not, 
perhaps,  very  seriously  entertained  by  either  party ;  though 
it  is  referred  to  a  second  time,  in  a  subsequent  letter, 
dated  July  24,  1846 : 

u  I  have  been  much  distressed  to  learn,  from  various  sources,  that  your 
health  is  still  precarious.  God  grant  that  you  may  be  long  spared  to 
labour  for  the  glory  of  His  name  and  the  prosperity  of  His  Church. 
This  is  no  time,  according  to  the  estimate  of  human  probability,  in 
which  we  can  dispense  with  your  services,  and  those  of  men  like-minded 
with  yourself.  The  discussion  in  the  last  Assembly,  on  the  subject  of 
inter-communion  with  the  New  School  party,  has  filled  me  with  sadness. 
I  was  not  prepared  to  see,  so  soon,  a  disposition,  so  openly  manifested, 
to  forsake  our  former  testimony.  That  there  were  many  who  cherished 
loose  sentiments  in  their  hearts,  I  had  no  doubt ;  but  that  the  time  had 
come  to  avow  them  in  the  highest  court  of  the  Church,  I  did  not  believe. 
I  am  seriously  afraid  that  the  foolish  liberality  of  the  age  will  speedily 
plunge  us  into  the  same  disasters  from  which  we  have  just  escaped.  Our 
whole  system  of  operations  gives  an  undue  influence  to  money.  Where 
money  is  the  great  want,  numbers  must  be  sought ;  and  where  an  am 
bition  for  numbers  prevails,  doctrinal  purity  must  be  sacrificed.  The 
root  of  the  evil  is  in  the  secular  spirit  of  all  our  ecclesiastical  institutions. 
What  we  want  is  a  spiritual  body ;  a  Church  whose  power  lies  in  the 
truth,  and  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  To  unsecularize  the  Church 
should  be  the  unceasing  aim  of  all  who  are  anxious  that  the  ways  of  Zion 
should  flourish.  I  need  not  say  that  my  heart  was  fully  with  you  in 
your  noble  testimony  in  the  last  Assembly. 

"We  have  completed  the  endowment  of  the  third  Professorship  in 
this  Seminary.  Can  you  not  send  us  some  students  ?  I  think  that  you 
would  not  regret  it ;  for  whatever  may  be  the  sentiments  of  some  of  the 
Professors  on  some  points,  a  stronger  power  is  brought  to  bear  upon  the 
students  out  of  the  Seminary,  than  is  exerted  in  it.  Most  of  them  leave 
the  place  much  sounder  than  they  came.  Should  it  be  so  that  your  health 
is  inadequate  to  the  discharge  of  your  duties  in  your  present  situation, 
will  you  come  here,  for  two  or  three  ye.irs,  or  as  long  as  you  please  ?  You 


292         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

would  have  a  delightful  climate,  easy  labours,  exemption  from  preaching,, 
and  fine  society.  We  must  elect  a  Professor  in  the  fall ;  and,  if  you  will 
agree  to  come,  my  mind  is  made  up  as  to  the  man.  This  field  is,  of 
course,  not  to  be  compared  with  the  one  you  at  present  occupy ;  but  it  is 
better  than  absolute  idleness,  and  I  suggest  it  to  you  only  upon  the  sup 
position  that  you  are  too  feeble  for  any  other  work." 

It  is  pleasant  to  interrupt  this  correspondence,  generally 
so  polemic  in  its  cast,  by  transcribing  a  letter  as  entirely 
spiritual.  It  is  addressed  to  his  colleague,  the  Hon.  W. 
C.  Preston,  the  President  of  the  College.  It  is  a  beau 
tiful  'commingling  of  personal  sympathy  under  sorrow, 
with  faithfulness  of  effort  to  win  the  soul  to  Christ : 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  August  4,  1846. 
To  HON.  WILLIAM  C.  PRESTON  : 

MY  VERY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  see  from  the  papers,  that  you  have  again  been 
called,  in  the  providence  of  God,  to  taste  the  bitterness  of  grief.  Though, 
in  ordinary  cases,  the  affliction  with  which  you  have  been  visited  is  one 
which  takes  us  less  by  surprise  than  any  other  form  of  ordinary  bereave 
ment,  yet  in  your  case,  the  event,  I  learn,  has  been  wholly  unexpected  ; 
so  that  the  severity  of  the  stroke  has  been  greatly  augmented  by  the 
suddenness  of  the  shock.  Your  feelings  under  such  circumstances  I 
can  readily  conceive,  and  nothing  but  profound  veneration  for  the 
sacreduess  of  your  grief  has  prevented  me  from  disturbing  the  solitude 
which  such  sorrows  always  court,  and  expressing  in  person  what,  in  the 
freshness  of  your  calamity,  it  would,  perhaps,  have  been  no  relief  to  re 
ceive,  my  sympathy  and  condolence.  Be  assured,  my  dear  sir,  that  my 
heart  has  been  with  you,  and  my  prayers  and  my  tears  both  freely 
accompanied  you,  when  I  saw  you  descend  into  the  house  of  mourning. 
Your  tenderest  associations  are  dearly  linked  to  -the  grave,  or  rather  they 
are  tied  to  Heaven.  A  sainted  sister,  a  cherished  daughter,  and  now 
she  who  nursed  your  infancy,  are  there  before  you.  Death  is  no  unfamil 
iar  subject,  and  the  hopes  of  a  future  life  I  trust  no  strange  theme. 

"  The  remainder  of  our  flesh"  is  the  forcible  and  beautiful  language 
in  which  the  Hebrew  writers  are  accustomed  to  designate  our  kindred 
and  relatives.  It  is  an  expression  true  to  nature.  We  feel  them  to  be  a 
portion  of  ourselves.  Our  hearts  pursue  them  in  the  grave ;  the  sod 
which  conceals  their  bodies  cannot  interrupt  our  communion  with  their 
spirits  ;  they  live  in  our  memories,  they  revive  in  our  hopes.  I  know, 
from  your  own  affectionate  nature,  and  from  the  tender  relations  which 
they  bore  to  you,  that  those  whom  God  has  taken  from  you  will  be  felt 
to  be,  in  a  pre-eminent  sense,  part  and  parcel  of  your  being  ;  they  were, 
indeed,  the  '  remainder  of  your  flesh.'  And  does  not  this  consideration," 
my  dear  sir,  suggest  a  new  incentive  for  cherishing  a  strong  attachment 
to  Heaven,  and  for  giving  all  diligence  to  acquire  that  love  to  the  Saviour 


QUESTION  OF  ROMISH  BAPTISM.  293 

which  will  secure  reunion  with  ycmr  friends  ?  If  Jesus  possess  not  the 
same  attractions  for  you  that  He  does  for  His  saints,  so  that  you  desire 
to  be  absent  from  the  body  in  order  to  be  present  with  the  Lord  ;  if  His 
presence  and  glory  be  not  sufficient  to  wean  your  heart  from  all  sublu 
nary  good,  and  commend  his  rest  to  your  affections ;  yet,  as  nature  yearns 
to  be  joined  again  to  the  departed,  you  must  feel  impelled  to  turn  your 
eyes  to  Him  as  'the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life."  The  loved  ones  of 
your  soul  beckon  you  to  Him,  and  through  Him  to  their  own  society, 
and  to  everlasting  blessedness.  The  providence  of  God  is  designed  to 
give  emphasis  to  the  calls  of  His  grace ;  and  afflictions  fail  of  their  end 
which  do  not  conduct  us  to  Him  who  bore  our  sickness  and  carried  our 
sorrows. 

"If  you  will  pardon  the  liberty  which  I  take,  for  I  can  assure  you 
that  what  I  shall  say  is  dictated  by  the  sincerest  friendship,  and  accom 
panied  by  the  warmest  prayers,  I  will  frankly  state  my  apprehension, 
that  you  are  prone,  from  the  very  nature  of  your  mind,  and  the  charac 
ter  of  your  past  pursuits,  to  fortify  your  heart  rather  with  the  lessons  of 
philosophy  than  the  promises  of  God.  But  if  it  is  the  purpose  of  your 
Heavenly  Father  to  lead  you  to  Himself,  if  He  has  taken  '  the  remainder 
of  your  flesh '  as  an  earnest  of  the  mercy  in  reserve,  is  it  not  as  ungrateful 
as  it  is  rebellious,  to  seek  consolation  in  bereavement  from  the  topics  of 
this  world's  wisdom,  while  the  exhaustless  treasures  of  Divine  love  are 
before  you  ?  Who  wrould  be  content  with  heathen  fortitude,  when  the 
jewel  of  Christan  patience  may  be  won  ?  The  discipline  of  philosophy 
may  engender  a  dogged  submission  to  calamity,  but  can  never  give  the 
victory  that  overcomes  the  world.  It  is  the  distinguishing  glory  of  the 
gospel  to  brace  the  soul  against  the  pressure  of  ill,  to  subdue  sorrow,  to 
conquer  death,  to  rejoice  in  tribulation.  He  alone  whose  heart  is  fixed, 
trusting  in  the  Lord,  '  shall  not  be  afraid  of  evil  tidings,'  since  he  knows 
that  all  things  must  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God.  You 
may  rely  upon  it,  dear  sir,  that  there  is  comfort,  pure  and  sweet,  in  the 
love  of  the  Father,  the  grace  of  the  Son,  and  the  communion  of  the 
blessed  Spirit.  There  are  consolations  rich  and  abundant  in  the  pro 
mises  of  the  new  and  everlasting  Covenant,  a  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory,  even  in  the  midst  of  fiery  trials,  to  those  who  believe  in  the  Sa 
viour.  This  joy  I  am  anxious  for  you  to  feel.  In  the  eye  of  your 
Christian  friends  there  is  but  one  thing  you  lack,  and  that  one  thing 
would  impart  a  new  grace  to  your  splendid  abilities,  give  new  power  to 
your  eloquence,  and  shed  a  Divine  lustre  upon  the  commanding  station 
which  you  occupy.  The  whole  dispensation  under  which  we  are  placed  is 
a  dispensation  of  mercy,  and  the  tendency  of  all  its  arrangements  is  to 
conduct  to  Jesus  as  the  only  Saviour  of  men.  Prosperity  and  adversity, 
blessings  and  afflictions,  all  speak  the  same  language :  '  believe  and  be 
saved.'  In  your  case,  I  cannot  but  feel  that  this  language  has  been  most 
solemn  and  emphatic.  The  prejudices  which  a  mind  like  yours  would 
be  likely  to  entertain  against  evangelical  religion,  have  been  signally 
forestalled  by  the  testimony  of  those  whom  you  loved  most,  and  all  men 


294  LIFE  O*   JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

were  bound  to  respect.  You  have  seen  its  reality,  you  have  witnessed 
its  power.  You  know  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  change  of  heart, 
such  a  blessing  as  justification  by  free  grace  ;  for  you  have  the  personal 
assurance  of  those  whose  faith  God  commanded  you  to  follow.  I  trust 
that  you  will  obey  His  voice.  He  has  called  you  to  prosperity,  enabling 
you  to  achieve  for  yourself  *  a  name  vhich  posterity  will  not  willingly 
let  die  ;'  all  venerate  you,  multitudes  love  you,  and  God  commands  you 
to  give  the  glory  to  Him.  He  has  once  and  again  called  you  by  afflic 
tions,  and  all  your  afflictions  point  you  directly  to  Heaven.  Oh !  that 
He  may  now  call  you  affectionately  by  His  grace,  and  make  you  partaker 
of  His  Son !  To  this  blessed  Spirit  I  commend  you,  and  wherever  you  go, 
my  affections  and  my  prayers  shall  go  with  you  ;  and  if  it  should  be  the 
will  of  God  that  we  meet  no  more  on  earth,  (for  thousands  have  run  a 
sl.orter  course  than  ours,)  let  us  endeavour  to  meet  on  the  great  day,  at 
th3  right  hand  of  the  Judge,  where  all  tears  shall  be  wiped  away,  and 
Borrow  and  sighing  are  no  more  known. 

"  With  the  sincerest  Christian  sympathy  and  love,  most  truly  yonrs, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

It  will  form,  perhaps,  an  agreeable  contrast,  to  set  over 
against  this  letter,  addressed  to  a  distinguished  and  cul 
tivated  man  of  the  world,  a  brief  note,  written  at  the  same 
date,  to  his  children,  left  in  Columbia  at  school,  whilst 
he  and  their  mother  were  enjoying  a  little  recreation  with 
relatives  at  Abbeville.  Nothing  brings  out  a  man's  heart 
so  completely  as  the  intercourse  he  holds  with  his  own 
children.  Dr.  Thorn  well  was  a  most  affectionate  father; 
and  amongst  his  loose  papers  are  many  short  letters  to 
them,  in  which  he  never  fails  to  impress  on  their  young 
minds  the  importance  of  early  piety.  Let  us  see  how  the 
great  orator  and  profound  debater  will  condescend  to 
babes : 

"ABBEVILLE,  August  17,  1846. 

"  MY  DEAR  CHILDREN  :  Your  mother  and  myself,  with  your  little  bro 
thers  and  sisters,  reached  your  uncle  "Wardlaw's  on  Friday  evening,  in 
health  and  safety.  We  desire  to  thank  God  for  having  taken  care  of  us, 
and  we  want  you  to  thank  Him  too.  He  saved  us  from  all  accident  by 
the  road ;  He  provided  us  with  every  necessary  comfort ;  and,  through 
His  goodness,  we  are  now  among  dear  and  valued  friends. 

"  Your  little  cousins  have  inquired  a  great  deal  about  you,  and  are  very 
sorry  that  you  did  not  come  up  with  us.  Aunt  Mary  and  Uncle  Joe  also 
expressed  great  desire  to  see. you.  Your  father  and  mother  would  be 
happy  to  have  you  with  them,  but  they  know  it  to  be  better  for  you  to 


QUESTION  OF  ROMISH  BAPTISM.  295 

be  at  school  with  aunt  Peck.  Father  wants  you  to  be  good  children,  to 
give  Mrs.  Peck  no  trouble,  and  to  learn  to  read  good,  so  that  you  may 
be  able  to  read  God's  Word  for  yourselves.  You  must  pray  to  God  every 
night  when  you  go  to  bed,  and  every  morning  when  you  get  up.  You 
must  ask  Him,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  give  you  His  Spirit.  The 
Spirit  will  make  you  feel  that  you  are  sinners,  that  you  need  a  Saviour ; 
and  will  enable  you  to  believe  in  Jes\is  Christ.  You  nwst  begin  early  to 
fear  God.  Jesus  Christ  saves  children,  as  well  as  grown  people.  You 
must  also  pray  for  father  and  mother,  and  your  little  brothers  and 
sisters,  and  for  each  other.  When  Aunt  Peck  takes  you  to  church,  you 
must  be  good  children,  behave  prettily,  and  listen  to  what  Mr.  Palmer 
says.  Your  father  and  mother  think  of  you  every  day,  and  pray  for  you, 
and  send  a  thousand  kisses  to  you. 

"Very  affectionately,  your  father, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

Among  the  reasons  assigned  by  the  Presbytery  for  re 
taining  Dr.  Thornwell  in  South  Carolina,  allusion  was 
made  to  certain  enterprises  which  had  been  set  on  foot, 
which  his  influence  was  needed  to  foster  and  sustain.  One 
of  these  was  a  more  complete  endowment  and  equipment 
of  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Columbia.  This  was  soon 
carried  out  by  adding  a  third  Professorship,  and,  at  a  later 
period,  a  fourth  ;  to  which,  eventually,  the  munificence  of 
Judge  Perkins,  of  Mississippi,  added  a  fifth;  so  that,  prior 
to  the  late  war,  it  was  one  of  the  best  endowed  and  most 
throughly  furnished  institutions  of  the  kind  in  the  whole 
land. 

A  second  enterprise  was  the  establishment  of  a  religious 
quarterly,  at  Columbia;  to  which,  by  anticipation,  we  have 
had  occasion  already  to  refer.  The  measures  for  this  last 
were  perfected  during  the  year  1846 ;  and  in  the  month 
of  June,  in  the  year  following,  the  first  number  was 
issued  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Review^  under  the 
conduct  of  "  an  association  of  Presbyterian  ministers,  in 
the  town  of  Columbia;"  and  which  lias  continued  its  ex 
istence  to  the  present  hour.  In  both  of  these  schemes 
Dr.  Thornwell  was  deeply  interested;  and  the  complete 
success  achieved  in  both,  fully  justifies  the  wisdom  of  the 
Presbytery  in  retaining  the  services  which  so  powerfully 
contributed  to  the  same.  Manv  of  the  most  valuable 


296         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

articles  in  the  Review  were  from  his  pen;  which,  in  all 
probability,  would  never  have  been  written,  but  for  the 
editorial  responsibility  which  pressed  upon  him.  To  that 
extent,  the  Church  at  large  is  a  debtor  to  this  enterprise; 
as  will  be  acknowledged  by  all  who  discover  how  large  a 
portion  of  the  four  volumes,  already  published,  is  made 
up  of  monographs  culled  from  the  pages  of  this  Review. 
A  few  extracts,  from  letters  relating  to  this  undertaking, 
will  conclude  the  present  chapter.'  To  Dr.  Breckinridge, 
in  a  letter  bearing  date  September  25,  1846  : 

"  I  have  just  returned  from  a  long  and  painful  visit  to  a  region  full  of 
sickness  and  affliction.  My  absence  accounts  for  my  not  having  sent 
you  a  prospectus  before.  I  have  no  idea  that  we  can  get  subscribers  in 
your  region,  but  I  hope  that  we  can  get  articles.  You  must  write.  We 
will  give  you  a  fair  and  full  field  on  the  Elder  question.  Can  you  not 
get  Drs.  Green  and  McGill  to  write  ?" 

On  the  6th  of  November,  he  writes  to  the  same,  with 
a  little  more  fulness: 

"I  am  rejoiced  to  learn  that  you  will  become  a  constant  contributor 
to  our  proposed  Review.  You  must  be  under  no  sort  of  apprehension 
that  you  will  write  too  often,  or  too  much.  We  have  not  yet  received 
sufficient  encouragement,  in  the  way  of  patronage,  to  feel  that  the  en 
terprise  is  safe.  At  Synod,  which  meets  in  Charleston  on  Thursday 
next,  returns  will  probably  be  made  to  us,  from  which  we  can  judge 
whether  it  will  be  advisable  to  put  to  press,  or  not.  We  shall  start  if 
we  can  get  five  hundred  subscribers.  We  have  four  hundred  now. 

"  The  editors  of  the  concern  are  Dr.  Howe,  brother  Palmer,  and  my 
self.  We  intend  to  make  it  a  free  journal  on  the  subject  of  Eldership, 
Boards,  Agencies,  et  id  omne  genus.  We  shall  not,  like  Princeton,  put 
an  extinguisher  upon  any  candle  that  emits  any  light.  My  own  impres 
sion  is,  that,  except  in  cases  where  a  writer  may  particularly  desire  the 
contrary,  the  names  of  the  contributors  should  be  given.  No  man  ought 
to  write  who  is  not  willing  to  be  responsible  for  what  he  says.  There 
may  be  considerations  of  delicacy  which,  in  some  instances,  might  ren 
der  it  improper  to  give  the  author  of  an  article  ;  and  in  such  cases,  the 
name  might  be  suppressed.  But,  as  a  general  rule,  I  do  not  like  strictly 
anonymous  publications  The  Review  has  been  coldly  received  in  some 
quarters,  having  been  prejudiced  and  condemned  as  likely  to  be  a  vio 
lent  and  acrimonious  advocate  of  extreme  opinions.  I  hope  that  it  will 
be  free  from  bitterness ;  but  if  God  gives  me  health  and  strength,  I  am 
determined  that  it  shall  contain  some  things  which  will  require  some 
thing  mor^  than  appeal  to  custom  t<5  refute." 


CHAPTEK  XXL 

ASSEMBLIES  OF  1847  AND  1848. 

ASSEMBLY  OF  1847. — ELECTED  MODERATOR. — SALUTATORY  ADDRESS. — DE 
SCRIPTIVE  LETTERS. — SERMON  ON  POPERY. — ITS  SUBJECT,  THE  MASS. — 
OUTLINE  OF  IT. — VIEWS  OF  His  USEFULNESS  IN  THE  COLLEGE. — AS 
SEMBLY  OF  1848. — RIGHT  OF  CHURCH  MEMBERS  TO  WITHDRAW. — RE 
LATION  OF  THE  CHURCH  TO  MORAL  REFORM  SOCIETIES. — CURIOUS  SCENE 
IN  THE  ASSEMBLY. — VISIT  TO  WASHINGTON  CITY. — FIRST  ACQUAINTANCE 
WITH  MR.  CALHOUN. — IMPRESSIONS  OF  His  GENIUS. — LETTERS  OF 
FRIENDSHIP. 

DE.  THORNWELL  had  been  a  member  of  three  As 
semblies:  those  of  1837,  of  1840,  and  of  1845;  be 
coming  more  conspicuous  in  each,  until,  in  that  of  1 847, 
which  convened  in  the  city  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  the 
highest  ecclasiastical  honour  was  conferred,  in  elevating 
him  to  the  Moderator's  chair.  He  was,  we  believe,  the 
youngest  who  had  ever  filled  that  distinguished  position, 
being  only  in  the  thirty -fifth  year  of  his  age.  Upon  being 
conducted  to  his  seat,  in  a  neat  salutatory,  he  reminded  the 
Assembly  of  the  importance  of  Parliamentary  rules,  and 
of  a  punctilious  observance  of  them,  in  order  to  the  des 
patch  of  business;  and  of  the  still  greater  importance,  in 
a  spiritual  court,  of  the  presence  of  Christ,  in  the  power 
of  His  Spirit,  and  of  singleness  of  purpose  to  promote 
the  glory  of  God.  Delivered  with  the  tone  of  sincere 
conviction  which  marked  all  his  utterances,  it  made  a 
sweet  impression  upon  the  body,  and  gave  a  pledge  of 
that  dignity  and  courtesy,  that  impartiality  and  efficiency 
in  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties,  which,  at  the  close 
of  the  sessions,  brought  upon  him  the  encomiums  of  all 
who  witnessed  the  proceedings  of  each  day.  This  much 

297 


298  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

may  be  allowed  to  be  said  for  him,  since  he  could  not 
say  it  for  himself.  As  to  all  the  rest,  he  shall  speak  di 
rectly  to  the  reader,  in  tl}e  confidential  letters  addressed 
to  her,  who  shared  with  him  his  innermost  thoughts : 

"RICHMOND,  May  20,  1847. 

"  The  Assembly  has  just  closed  its  morning  session.  Dr.  Hodge 
preached  a  very  able  sermon,  from  1  Cor.  ix.  14.  The  subject  was,  the 
duty  of  the  Church,  as  a  united,  collective  body,  to  support  the  gospel 
ministry.  Some  of  his  views  were  very  striking  and  impressive,  though 
in  some  things  there  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  confusion  of  ideas.  He  read 
it  slavishly,  and  without  any  animation ;  and  the  congregation,  I  thought, 
were  not  much  interested.  I  presume  it  will  be  published.  After  the 
sermon,  the  Assembly  was  constituted ;  and,  though  some  Presbyteries, 
are  not  yet  represented,  the  delegation  is  very  large,  and  the  body  is 
truly  imposing. 

"I  was  elected  Moderator,  which,  I  have  no  doubt,  will  surprise  you 
and  my  Columbia  friends  very  much.  The  Assembly  is  to  meet  every 
morning  at  nine  o'clock,  and  adjourn  at  one ;  then  meet  again  at  four, 
and  adjourn  at  half-past  six.  The  adoption  of  this  rule,  and  the  election 
of  officers,  are  all  that  was  done  this  morning.  I  have  no  idea  what  sort 
of  a  time  we  shall  have ;  but  I  trust  that  the  Lord  will  be  merciful  to 
us,  and  grant  us  His  Holy  Spirit.  I  do  wish  very  much  that  you  were 
here.  You  could  not  fail  to  be  interested  and  delighted.  You  would 
meet  with  so  many  old  friends,  and  extend  your  acquaintance  among  so 
many  kind  and  hospitable  people,  that  you  would  feel  it  to  be  a  treat. 

"Father  Mclver,  from  North  Carolina,  is  here,  to  prosecute  a  com 
plaint  against  Fayetteville  Presbytery  and  the  Synod  of  North  Carolina,, 
for  restoring  McQueen  to  the  ministry.  The  old  man  is  full  of  the  sub 
ject.  He  seems  to  think  that  all  will  come  to  desolation,  if  men  are 
allowed  to  marry  their  wives'  sisters.  He  is  a  good  man,  and  his  zeal 
and  earnestness  on  this  subject  are  truly  amusing.  I  do  not  know  yet 
in  what  shape  the  question  will  come  before  us ;  but  my  speech  is  killed 
by  being  put  in  the  Moderator's  chair." 

To  the  same,  dated  May  27,  1847: 

"  This  is  the  eighth  day  of  the  sessions  of  the  Assembly.  Everything 
has  gone  on  quite  smoothly  and  harmoniously.  We  came  very  near 
having  a  breeze  on  the  question  of  reading  or  not  reading  the  letters 
from  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Church  in  Ireland,  and  the  General 
Assembly  of 'the  Free  Church  in  Scotland ;  but  the  letters  were  finally  read, 
and  the  whole  affair  passed  off  very  pleasantly.  They  were  very  strongly 
against  slavery,  but  produced  no  ferment.  Our  Assembly  returned  a 
very  firm,  calm,  and  dignified  answer  to  both.  The  McQueen  case  is  not 
yet  decided ;  but  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  decision  of  the  Fayetto- 


ASSEMBLIES  OF  1847  AND  1848.  299 

ville  Presbytery,  restoring  him  to  the  ministry,  will  be  sustained.  If  it 
could  come  up  on  its  merits,  this  would  probably  not  be  the  case  ;  but 
it  comes  up  hampered  with  a  decision  of  the  Assembly  of  1845,  which 
rather  shuts  us  up,  in  the  opinion  o£  many,  to  the  adoption  of  this 
course. 

"  I  preached  my  sermon  on  Popery  last  night,  to  a  very  large  congre 
gation.  The  weather  was  very  bad ;  it  rained  the  whole  evening,  and  I 
expected  but  few  hearers.  To  my  surprise,  the  house  was  crowded  to 
overflowing.  I  had  to  omit  a  great  deal  of  it,  which  I  was  sorry  to  do. 
This  morning  the  Assembly  voted  me  their  thanks  for  it,  and  ordered  it 
to  be  published.  It  seems  to  have  taken  remarkably  well. 

"Dr.  Hodge  preached  a  sermon  to-night  on  parochial  schools.  He  is 
not  an  interesting  preacher,  although  he  is  a  clear  and  able  writer.  He 
wants  animation  and  fire.  As  a  man,  he  is  exceedingly  popular  in  the 
Assembly,  and  has  great  weight.  He  is  very  mild  and  gentle  and  affec 
tionate  in  his  temper.  Next  Sunday  we  are  to  celebrate,  as  an  Assembly, 
the  Lord's  Supper.  The  action  sermon  will  be  preached  by  Dr.  Hoge, 
of  Columbus. 

"I  have  been  so  much  occupied  with  the  business  of  the  Assembly, 
that  I  have  been  able  to  accept  only  two"  invitations  to  dine  out.  As  my 
sermon  on  Popery  is  now  off  my  hands,  I  shall  have  more  time  at  my 
command ;  and  shall  endeavour  to  accept,  in  future,  some  of  the  invi 
tations  which  have  been  kindly  extended  to  me.  I  have  promised  Dr. 
Green  and  Peck  to  visit  them  in  Baltimore  upon  the  rising  of  the  Assembly, 
and  I  have  been  strongly  urged  to  go  to  Philadelphia.  My  movements, 
however,  are  not  yet  arranged.  You  shall  know  them  in  due  time.  It 
is  now  twelve  o'clock  at  night.  May  the  Lord  be  to  you  a  sun  and  a 
shield." 

The  sermon  on  Popery  was  preached  under  an  appoint 
ment  of  the  Assembly  of  1845;  which,  from  providential 
hindrances,  was  not  fulfilled  the  following  year,  and  was 
continued  till  the  next.  The  topic  discussed  in  it  was  the 
doctrine  of  the  Mass;  and  was  delivered  from  full  notes, 
without  being  written  in  connected  form.  It  is  a  little 
singular,  considering  the  call  for  its  publication,  and  the 
deep  interest  whicli  the  speaker  felt  in  all  parts  of  this 
Romish  controversy,  that  it  was  never  given  to  the  press. 
It  remains  in  the  same  crude  shape,  too  incomplete  and 
disconnected  to  be  inserted  in  his  "  Collected  Writings." 
It  was  declared  by  one  of  our  most  learned  divines,  who 
listened  to  it  when  pronounced,  to  be  a  masterly  exhibition 
of  truth,  and  showing  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the 


300  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

learning  of  the  subject.*  The  Mass  was  discussed  under 
its  two  forms,  as  a  sacrament  and  as  a  sacrifice.  It  was 
shown  to  be  the  central  doctrine  in  the  Romish  system; 
and  the  arguments  in  its  defence  were  articulately  con 
sidered,  whether  drawn  from  tradition,  from  reason,  or 
from  Scripture.  One  peruses  it  in  the  rude  outline,  with 
profound  regret  that  it  was  never  wrought  up  in  the  fin 
ished  style  which  would  have  rendered  it  a  valuable  and 
permanent  contribution  to  the  controversial  literature  of 
the  Church. 

The  following  letter,  written  about  this  time,  to  Dr. 
Breekinridge,  discloses  the  habitual  feelings  with  which 
he  regarded  his  work  in  the  "College.  The  view  presented 
as  to  the  particular  form  in  which  his  usefulness  was  most 
conspicuous,  will  be  endorsed  by  all  who  are  familiar  with 
those  times;  though  eternity  alone  will  reveal  in  how 
many  souls  he  planted  "the  incorruptible  seed,"  which, 
in  later  years,  brought  forth  fruit  unto  holiness : 

"SOUTH  CAKOLINA  COLLEGE,  March  12,  1847. 

"  MY  DEAE  BROTHER  :  With  your  feelings  in  reference  to  your  position 
in  College,  I  can  most  heartily  sympathize  ;  and  if  I  had  yielded  to  my 
own  impulses  more,  and  less  to  the  convictions  of  others,  I  shoiild  not 
have  been  here  to-day.  From  long  experience,  I  am  satisfied  that  the 
possibilities  of  usefulness  in  such  a  situation  are  largely  overrated.  The 
influence  which  a  good  man  can  exert  is  rather  negative  than  positive  ; 
it  consists  more  in  preventing  evil,  than  in  directly  doing  good.  This 
negative  sort  of  usefulness  has  never  been  enough  to  fill  up  my  desires. 
But  Providence  seems  to  have  cast  my  lot  where  my  labour  is  drudgery, 
and  my  reward  is  disappointment.  My  time  is  so  frittered  away  by  the 
constant  intervention  of  external  duties,  that  I  can  pursue  no  consecutive 
plans  of  study  ;  and  what  little  writing  I  am  able  to  perform,  and  it  is 
little  enough,  must  be  done  at  the  expense  of  sleep  or  recreation.  But 

*  In  addition  to  this  testimony,  we  find  the  following  from  Dr.  J.  W. 
Alexander,  in  the  memorial  of  him  entitled  "Forty  Years'  Familiar  Let 
ters  :  "  "Dr.  Thornwell  is  the  great  man  of  the  South,  and  I  do  not  think 
his  learning  or  powers  of  mind  overrated.  His  speech,  on  taking  the  chair, 
was  a  chef  d' wuvre.  His  sermon  was  ill  delivered,  but  nevertheless  a  model 
of  what  is  rare,  viz. :  burning  hot  argument,  logic  in  ignition,  and  glow 
ing  more  and  more  to  the  end :  it  was  memoriter,  and  with  terrific  con- 
tmtio  laterum" 


ASSEMBLIES  OF  1847  AND  1848.  301 

here  I  am,  mysteriously  shut  up  to  a  position  which  is  not  the  object  of 
niy  choice,  discouraged,  mortified,  distressed  at  the  fruitlessuess  of  my 
efforts,  toiling  day  after  day  without  hope,  worn  down  by  a  constant  pres 
sure  of  responsibility,  and  unsustained,  for  the  most  part,  by  sympathy, 
co-operation,  or  approval,  on  the  part  of  those  around  me.  If  there  are 
any  who  envy  me  my  chaii*.  they  would  gladly  relinquish  to  me  all  its 
honours  after  six  months'  experience  of  its  cares.  My  conscience  testifies 
that  I  have  faithfully  preached  the  gospel  here  ;  I  have  preached  it 
through  good  report,  and  through  evil  report ;  I  have  preached  it  when  I 
btood  almost  absolutely  alone  ;  but  what  has  been1  the  result  ?  In  only  0110 
aspect  of  the  case,  do  I  feel  that  I  have  done  a  valuable  work  ;  and  that 
is,  in  breaking  down  the  spirit  of  infidelity,  which  had  largely  taken  pos 
session  of  the  State.  Under  God's  blessing,  I  have  succeeded  beyond 
what  I  could  hope,  in  changing  the  whole  current  of  association  upon 
the  speculative  question  of  the  truth  of  Christianity.  This  is  some 
thing,  but  it  is  not  salvation ;  and  tfie  salvation  of  souls  is  the  object 

of  my  toil. 

'  Very  truly,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

In  a  later  epistle  to  the  same,  October  20,  1847,  he 
writes : 

"  There  is  another  matter  which  I  would  also  commend  to  yo'ur  notice. 
It  strikes  me  that  D'Aubigne  has  not  done  justice  to  the  character  of 
Zuingle.  That  great  and  good  man  ought  to  be  set  in  a  fairer  light. 
Now,  history  is  familiar  to  you  as  household  words ;  and  I  should  be 
delighted  to  receive  from  you  an  article  on  this  point. 

"Our  Synod  has  just  closed  its  sessions  A  large  committee  was 
appointed,  of  which  I  am  chairman,  to  draw  up  a  paper,  to  be  presented 
to  the  next  Synod,  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  defining  the  true  position 
of  our  Church,  and  suggesting  means  for  rectifying  some  of  the  abuses 
and  evils  incidental  to  the  institution.  We  shall  probably  recommend  a 
petition  to  the  Legislature,  praying  that  a  law  may  he  enacted,  to  protect 
the  family  relations  of  the  slave  ;  and  that  the  disgraceful  statute,  which 
prohibits  them  from  learning  to  read,  may  be  repealed.  I  shall  take 
great  pains  in  the  preparation  of  the  document,  and  would  be  glad  to 
receive  any  suggestions." 

As  the  retiring  Moderator,  Dr.  Thornwell  opened  the 
Assembly  of  1848,  with  a  sermon  from  Acts  xvii.  32, 
uAnd  when  they  heard  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead, 
some  mocked ;  and  others  said,  we  will  hear  thee  again 
of  this  matter."  According  to  usage,  he  filled  the  im 
portant  position  of  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Bills 


302  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

and  Overtures.  He  had  the  opportunity  of  broaching 
his  opinion  on  two  important  subjects,  foreshadowing 
what,  at  a  later  date,  in  the  revision  of  the  Book  of  Dis 
cipline,  he  sought  to  incorporate  into  the  Constitution  of 
the  Church. 

An  overture  was  presented,  asking  whether  Church 
Sessions  have  the  right  to  allow  members  to  withdraw 
from  the  communi6n  of  the  Church,  who  are  not  guilty 
of  any  immoral  conduct,  but  feel  that  they  have  never 
been  made  the  subjects  of  renewing  grace.  This  question 
it 'was  proposed  to  answer  in  the  affirmative.  In  the  de 
bate  which  followed,  Dr.  Thornwell  is  reported  as  saying : 


' '  The  point  of  the  overture  is  entirely  misapprehended.  It  is  asked 
whether  persons  may  withdraw  from  the  Church  who  have  been  received 
unadvisedly,  and  are  now  satisfied  that  they  are  not  converted  persons, 
yet  are  regular  in  all  their  private  and  public  duties.  It  is  the  custom  of 
the  Church,  when  members  absent  themselves  from  the  communion,  to 
visit  them  by  committee.  Suppose  a  member  gives  as  a  reason  for 
staying  away,  'I  am  satisfied  that  I  am  not  a  member  of  Christ;  and 
when  the  pastor  charged  all  those  to  retire  who  had  not  knowledge  to 
discern  the  Lord's  body,  I  was  constrained  in  conscience  to  obey  the 
command.'  What  is  to  be  done  ?  Will  you  discipline  him  ?  For  what? 
For  doing  the  very  thing  which  you  require  him  to  do,  and  which,  if  our 
principles  are  true,  he  was  solemnly  bound  to  do.  What  is  the  object  of 
a  trial  ?  Is  it  not  to  ascertain  whether  a  man  is,  or  is  not,  a  member  of 
Christ's  body  ?  Exit  if  he  confesses  that  he  is  not,  it  is  the  best  evidence 
that  can  be  given,  and  the  Session  may  declare  the  fact  to  the  Church. 
It  was  the  doctrine  of  Erastus,  that  the  Church  was  the  channel  of  grace, 
and  had  no  right  to  excommunicate  members  for  any  cause.  But  this 
is  not  the  doctrine  of  any  Christian  Church,  at  the  present  day.  Now,  we 
hold  that  union  with  Christ  is  the  basis  qf  union  with  the  Church,  and  a 
credible  profession  simply  declares  the  fact.  Will  any  Church  Session 
undertake  to  affirm  that  a  man  is,  and  shall  be,  a  member  of  the  Church, 
when  he  tells  them  that  he  is  not  a  member  of  Christ  ?  Certainly  not. 
It  is  now  proposed  that,  in  such  a  case,  the  Session  shall  place  him  in 
the  same  position  with  the  baptized  children  of  the  Church,  and  not 
make  him  a  heathen  and  publican. 

"Another  point:  The  Protestant  Church  knows  no  man,  unless  he  is 
voluntarily  subject  to  her  authority ;  and  the  vow  of  subjection  is  binding 
no  longer  than  he  feels  that  he  has  a  right  to  submit  to  them.  The 
Roman  Catholic  view  is,  that  a  man  is  everywhere  bound  by  his  vow  to 
the  Church :  that  once  a  virgin,  bound  by  a  vow,  always  a  virgin  ;  once  a 


ASS  K  Mi!  I.  IKS  OF   1847  AND   1848.  303 

moiik,  always  a  monk.  But,  with  us,  the  vow  is  not  to  the  Church,  but 
to  God ;  and  He  will  be  the  judge.  We  propose  no  innovation,  but  the 
assertion  of  a  right  that  is  inherent  in  our  Church,  and  oxight  to  be  di&~ 
tinctly  set  forth.  Thus  we  shall  separate  the  chaff  from  the  wheat, 
purify  the  Church,  and  publish  the  fact  to  the  world.  The  Church  has 
been  spoken  of  as  a  voluntary  society ;  but  there  was  this  obvious  fea 
ture  :  a  voluntary  society  prescribes  its  own  rule,  but  the  Church  has  its 
laws  from  its  Head;  they  are  not  to  be  altered  or  amended."* 


These  arguments  did  not,  however,  carry  the  Assembly ; 
and  the  recommendation  was  rejected. 

Upon  the  other  subject,  Dr.  Thornwell  was  more  suc 
cessful,  securing  the  unanimous  consent  of  the  body  to 
his  views.  It  was  the  relation  which  the  Church  should 
sustain  to  temperance,  and  other  moral  reform  societies. 
"Without  quoting  the  minute  |  at  large  which  he  submitted, 
it  is  sufficient  here  to  state  that  it  set  forth,  with  great 
clearness,  the  nature  and  functions  of  the  Church  as  a 
spiritual  body,  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ,  governed  by 
His  laws,  and  having  for  its  aim  the  gathering  and  per 
fecting  of  the  saints,  to  the  end  of  the  world.  It  cannot, 
therefore,  league  itself  to  any  secular  institutions  for 
moral  ends,  nor  be  subsidiary  to  associations  founded  upon 
human  policy.  It  is  a  matter  of  Christian  liberty  whether 
connection  shall  be  had  with  these  or  not ;  a  liberty  which 
the  Church  does  not  infringe,  either  by  enjoining  or  inter 
dicting  them,  as  long  as  false  principles  are  not  pro 
mulgated,  and  wrong  practices  are  not  indulged.  And  in 
pressing  these  distinctions,  Dr.  Thornwell  only  urged  the 
doctrine  which  he  uniformly  taught  through  life,  as  to  the 
province  of  the  Church,  and  her  immediate  and  entire 
subjection  under  the  authority  of  her  Lord  and  Head. 

The  only  letter  extant,  written  during  the  sessions  of 
this  Assembly,  is  the  following  to  his  wife,  from  which 
we  make  one  or  two  extracts.  It  is  dated, 


*  See  Biblical  Repertory  for  1848,  pp.  409-410. 

tit  will  be  found  in  the  Assembly's  Digest,  Ed.  1856,  pp.  797-'S. 


304  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

"BALTIMORE,  May  20,  1848. 

"  MY  DEAREST  WIFE  :  *  *  *  The  Assembly  was  opened  on  Thurs 
day,  by  a  sermon  from  myself,  which  occupied  an  hour  and  a  half  in  the 
delivery.  Dr.  McGill,  of  Pittsburgh,  was  elected  Moderator.  I  have 
been  made  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Bills  and  Overtures,  which  is 
the  most  laborious  and  important  committee  of  the  house.  It  is  the 
channel  through  which  most  of  the  business  enters  the  -house.  You 
perceive,  therefore,  that  my  hands  are  full.  We  have  had.  thus  far,  a 
very  pleasant  time.  All  our  Southern  members  are  delighted  with  the 
hospitality  of  Baltimore.  It  is  indeed  a  delightful  city.  *  *  *  Mr. 
Spreckelson  sent  me  yesterday  a  small  box  of  very  costly  cigars,  which, 
I  am  afraid,  will  so  corrupt  my  taste  that  I  will  find  it  hard  to  come 
down,  when  I  return  home. 

"The  great  Democratic  Convention  meets  here,  next  Monday.  Tho 
object  is  to  nominate  the  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party  for  tho 
Presidency  of  the  United  States.  We  shall  have  all  the  great  men  of 
the  Union  here.  Congress  has  adjourned  until  it  is  through,  so  that  all 
the  leading  members  of  Congress  will  be  present.  I  am  proposing  'to 
myself  a  good  deal  of  interest,  in  occasionally  witnessing  its  delibera 
tions  and  proceedings. 

"We  have  some  interesting  questions  to  come  before  the  Assem 
bly  next  week.  The  Marriage  question  will  be  up  again,  in  several 
forms:  1,  As  a  judicial  case;  and  2,  The  abstract  doctrine.  It  will,  in 
all  probability,  be  fully  discussed ;  and  I  hope  that  it  will  be  so  settled 
as  to  put  an  end  to  every  future  agitation  of  the  subject.*  The  Elder 
question  will  not  come  up  ;  at  least  there  is  no  prospect  of  it  at  present. 
' '  We  had  yesterday  rather  a  scene  in  the  house,  from  the  conduct  of 
a  lady,  who  seems  to  be  partially  deranged.  She  brought  a  case  before 
the  Assembly,  complaining  against  the  Synod  of  New  York.  Her  papers 
were  reported  to  be  irregular  by  the  Chairman  of  the  Judicial  Commit 
tee  ;  and  a  motion  was  made  to  dismiss  the  case.  She  was  in  the  house 
at  the  time,  and  became  so  excited,  that  she  rose  to  make  a  speech  in  her 
own  defence.  We  siicceeded,  however,  in  getting  her  quiet,  without 
permitting  her  to  produce  much  confusion.  She  was  directed  to  wait 
on  the  Judicial' Committee,  and  make  her  statements  to  it.  ,  She  ac 
cordingly  did  so.  I  was  in  the  adjoining  room,  presiding  over  another 
committee,  and  heard  her  inflict  a  terrible  belabouring  upon  the  Judicial 
Committee,  which  afforded  me  no  little  amusement.  She  is  said  to  be  a 
woman  of  education,  of  good  family,  and  of  good  circumstances ;  but 
she  is  crazy  on  the  subject  of  prophecy,  and  thinks  the  time  has  come 
to  cleanse  the  Sanctuary.  Hence,  she  has  impeached  all  the  ministers 

*  The  judicial  case  was  the  complaint  of  Eev.  Colin  Mclver  against 
the  restoration  of  Mr.  McQueen,  which  was  dismissed,  as  having  been 
concluded  by  the  preceding  Assembly.  The  proposition  to  submit  the 
question  to  the  Presbyteries,  of  striking  out  the  law  on  this  subject,  was 
not  concurred  in. 


ASSEMBLIES  OF  1847  AND  1848.  305 

of  New  York ;  and  is  grievously  offended  that  the  Assembly  will  not  help 
her  to  purify  the  sons  of  Levi.  The  nature  of  her  complaints  I  do  not 
exactly  understand.  I  believe  that  she  charges  some  of  the  New  York 
ministers  with  making  mouths  at  her ;  others,  with  treating  her  rudely, 
in  ordering  her  out  of  the  house ;  and  some  with  turning  her  over  to 
the  police.  The  whole  affair  is  equally  strange  and  ridiculous ;  but  the 
poor  woman  is  certainly  to  be  pitied.  *  *  * 
"Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

Upon  his  return  from  the  Assembly,  he  spent  a  day  in 
Washington,  D.  C.,  from  which  place  he  writes,  on  the 
5th  of  June : 

"I  came  here  this  morning,  from  Baltimore  ;  and  being  too  late  for 
the  boat,  have  spent  the  day  here,  which  gave  me  an  opportunity  of  see 
ing  Congress  in  session.  The  Assembly  was  dissolved  on  Saturday 
evening,  and  I  preached  yesterday  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  of 
Baltimore.  A  great  many  members  of  the  Assembly  came  over  to  see 
the  great  guns  at  Washington.  Mr.  Calhoun  and  Colonel  Burt  were  very 
polite  to  me ;  and  I  have  an  engagement  to  spend  the  evening  with 
them.  Mrs.  Burt  is  here,  keeping  house  for  them ;  it  will  give  me  great 
pleasure  to  see  her,  and  discuss  old  times.  I  have  seen  nearly  all  the 
South  Carolina  members.  There  is  very  little  doing  now,  as  the  Whig 
Convention  meets  to-morrow  in  Philadelphia,  to  nominate  a  Whig  can 
didate  for  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States." 

This  letter  is  introduced  for  the  purpose  of  recalling 
the  fact,  that  Dr.  Thornwell's  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Cal 
houn  did  not  begin  at  this  date.  During  the  summer  of 
1843,  he  called  upon  Mr.  Calhoun  at  his  residence,  in 
Pendleton,  and  spent  a  morning  with  him.  The  conver 
sation  took  a  wide  range  over  the  subjects  of  education, 
metaphysics,  and  politics.  Dr.  Thornwell  possessed  rare 
powers  of  conversation,  and  rejoiced  in  letting  them  out, 
when  it  took  this  particular  form  of  a  dialogue  between 
two.  When  thrown  in  contact  with  men  of  great  abili 
ties,  his  ambition  put  him  upon  his  mettle ;  his  mind  was 
roused  to  as  much  activity,  and  he  drew  upon  his  stores 
of  learning  witli  as  much  fervour,  as  when  addressing  a 
large  assembly.  The  writer  remembers  the  account,  given 
by  himself,  of  this  particular  interview,  and  the  terms  of 


306  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

strong  satisfaction  in  which  he  dwelt  upon  the  rehearsal 
of  it.  Mr.  Calhoun  is  also  represented  to  have  expressed 
his  own  delight,  to  the  gentleman  who  had  brought  them 
together;  saying  that  Dr.  Thorn  well  was  the  only  divine 
he  had  ever  met,  whom  he  thought  comparable  with  his 
old  preceptor,  Dr.  Dwight,  the  former  President  of  Yale 
College.  He  further  stated,  "I  expected  to  find  Dr. 
Thornwell  perfectly  posted  upon  his  own  department  of 
study ;  but  when  he  came  over  into  mine,  I  was  not  pre 
pared  for  the'  thorough  acquaintance  he  exhibited  with 
all  the  topics  that  are  generally  familiar  only  to  states 
men."  The  mystery  is  not  really  so  great  as  it  appears; 
for  an  accomplished  theologian  is  compelled  to  master 
the  great  principles  which  underlie  all  government  and 
law.  But  Dr.  Thornwell,  in  addition  to  this,  was  remark 
ably  conversant  with  history,  and  had  mastered  the  sci 
ence  of  Political  Economy.  He  was,  therefore,  entirely 
competent  to  range  with  Mr.  Calhoun  over  all  the  topics 
which  lay  in  the  bounds  of  that  profession  which  either 
pursued. 

The  following  letter  to  Dr.  Breckinridge,  contains  his 
last  reference  to  the  Assembly  of  1848.  Some  sentences 
in  it  will  afford  the  reader  some  idea  of  the  playful 
humour  in  which  he  so  often  indulged  in  personal  inter 
course. 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  July  18,  1848. 

"MY  DEAB  BBOTHER :  I  received  your  last  letter  some  months  ago, 
and  can  hardly  frame  any  decent  apology  for  having  neglected  to  answer 
it  so  long.  The  truth  is,  I  have  a  great  aversion  to  the  use  of  the  pen  ; 
and  I  do  not  know  if  I  ever  should  write  to  my  friends,  if  it  were  not  for 
my  anxiety  to  hear  from  them.  From  you,  particularly,  a  letter  is  always 
thrice  welcome ;  and  it  is  more  to  draw  something  from  you,  than  to 
communicate  anything  of  my  own,  that  I  now  undertake  to  bring  you  in 
debt  to  me.  You  have  probably  heard  from  Berryman,  and  gathered 
from  the  papers  a  better  account  than  I  could  give  you  of  the  last  As 
sembly.  I  am  satisfied  that  a  gradual  reaction  is  generally  taking  place 
in  the  Church,  which,  in  a  few  years, "with  proper  efforts,  will  put  it  in 
the  position  we  would  like  to  see  it  occupy.  Something  effectual  might 
have  been  done  in  Baltimore,  if  the  Assembly  had  not  been  so  completely 
worn  out  by  the  mass  of  judicial  business  to  which  it  was  called  to  attend. 


ASSEMBLIES  OF  1847  AND  1848.  307 

There  was  no  possibility  of  a  full  discussion  of  any  great  question.  But 
straws  show  how  the  wind  blows ;  and  I  saw  enough  to  make  ine  bless 
God  and  take  courage.  The  people  of  Baltimore  manifested  a  princely 
hospitality,  and  they  will  long  be  remembered  in  the  prayers,  affection, 
and  gratitude  of  the  ministers  and  elders,  who  never  expect  to  see  them 
again  in  the  flesh.  No  one  left  the  city  without  regret.  Our  good  friend 
McElderry  kept  an  inn,  as  usual ;  and  if  he  chanced,  on  any  day,  to  have 
no  more  than  his  table  could  accommodate,  he  seemed  to  be  afraid  that 
he  had  not  done  his  duty.  I  charged  him  with  standing  at  the  corner  of 
the  streets,  and  pressing  every  man  he  met  to  come  and  partake  of  the 

fat  things  he  had  prepared.    At  his  house  I  met  with  your  friend  S , 

who  occupied,  for  several  nights,  the  same  room  with  myself.  He  left 
the  city  in  setf -defence,  protesting  that  a  few  more  nights  with  me  would 
kill  him ;  and  pitying  my  wife,  who,  from  year  to  year,  had  to  endure 
the  plague  of  a  man  who  neither  slept  nor  waked,  according  to  the  laws 
which  govern  civilized  human  beings.  It  was  amusing  to  see  him,  poor 
fellow,  denude  himself,  about  ten  o'clock,  of  his  wearing  apparel,  slip 
into  his  long  shirt,  and  stretch  himself  upon  his  couch,  to  woo  the  em 
braces  of  kind  'nature's  sweet  restorer,  balmy  sleep,'  and  then  permit 
himself  to  become  so  absorbed  in  conversation  as  to  forget  his  position, 
jump  up,  fumble  about  his  breeches'  pocket  for  a  quid  of  tobacco,  or 
sponge  on  me  for  a  good  cigar ;  and  thus,  lying,  sitting,  walking,  all  in 
a  shirt  of  prodigious  length,  forget  the  hours,  until  signs  of  day  began  to 
appear.  He  is  a  noble  fellow,  and  I  found  his  society  a  treat.  I  think  a 
brief  campaign  with  me  would  completely  cure  him  of  the  infirmity  of 
feeling  sleepy  at  night.  I  endeavoured  to  impress  upon  him  that  the 
noblest  beasts,  such  as  the  lion,  take  the  nights  for  their  feats  of  activity 
and  valour.  To  work  in  the  day,  when  every  one  can  see  you,  savours 
too  much  of  ostentation  for  a  generous  and  modest  spirit ;  and  to  be 
eating  by  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  indicates  a  ravenous  propensity 
for  the  things  of  earth.  ***** 

"Are  you  writing  anything  for  us  ?  We  shall  be  more  than  glad  to  hear 
from  you.  How  comes  on  your  Commentary  on  Acts  ?  Have  you  seen 
Lord's  '  Theological  Journal  ? '  It  promises  to  be  a  valuable  contribution 
towards  the  interpretation  of  the  prophetic  Scriptures.  His  review  of 
Stuart  on  the  Apocalypse  is  well  done.  Have  you  seen  Nevin's  reply  to 
Hodge  ?  I  have  been  much  amused  in  reading  his  article,  and  have  had 
some  curious  questions  suggested  to  me  concerning  the  influence  of  lan 
guage  on  thought.  Let  me  hear  from  you  soon. 
"Very  truly,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

The  two  letters  which  are  annexed,  are  letters  of  private 
friendship,  and  reveal  the'affectionateness  of  his  nature. 
The  first  is  addressed  to  Mr.  A.  H.  Pegues,  one  of  the 
companions  of  his  childhood  : 


308  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  June  27,  1848. 

' '  MY  DEAR  FEIEND  :  I  do  not  know  when  I  have  been  more  gratified 
than  I  was,  a  few  days  ago,  at  the  reception  of  your  letter  of  the  2d  in 
stant.  It  was  like  good  news  from  a  distant  land,  or  cold  water  to  a 
thirsty  soul.  Eeminiscences,  which  never  can  fade  from  my  mind,  were 
called  up  with  the  freshness  of  the  original  events ;  and  for  a  time  I  gave 
myself  up  to  the  power  of  the  past.  I  was  particularly  delighted  to  find 
that  the  vicissitudes  of  your  Western  life  had  wrought  no  change  in  your 
early  affections,  and  that  you  still  turned  with  pleasure  to  one  whose  love 
to  you  is  as  strong  and  fresh  as  when  we  pored  together  over  the  delicious 
lines, 

"  ' The  native  wood-notes  wild, 

Of  sweetest  Shakespeare,  fancy's  child,' 

Or  nerved  our  minds  to  higher  efforts  over  the  exquisite  pages  of 
Locke,  Stewart,  or  Keid.  Those  days  are  gone,  but  their  impressions 
remain ;  and  nothing  on  earth  would  afford  me  more  pleasure  than  to 
meet  you  in  person,  and  review  face  to  face  the  numberless  events  which 
have  bound  my  heart  to  yours. 

"In  regard  to  the  subject  of  your  letter,  you  will  permit  me  to  say, ' 
that,  while  I  am  touched  with  your  kindness  and  partiality,  I  must  yet 
decline  being  presented  as  a  candidate  for  the  place  in  question.  Tho 
position  which  I  occupy  here  I  cannot  relinquish ;  it  opens  a  wide  and 
increasing  field  of  usefulness,  and  is,  in  many  respects,  the  most  desir 
able  in  the  Southern  country.  I  would  be  glad,  however,  if  you  could' 
exert  your  good  offices  in  favour  of  my  old  friend  and  classmate,  Rev. 
Mr.  Gladney.  He  is  an  excellent  man,  of  sterling  integrity,  of  much 
more  than  ordinary  talents,  and  a  good  scholar.  He  has  the  decision 
and  firmness  which  are  absolutely  essential  to  the  President  of  a  College. 
I  would  also  bespeak  your  aid  in  behalf  of  my  young  friend,  GamewelL 
(a  son  of  our  old  Methodist  preacher,)  who  will  appear  as  a  candidate 
for  the  chair  of  Mathematics.  He  is  a  prodigy  of  genius,  having,  in  my 
opinion,  no  superior  in  the  State. 

' '  I  hope  that  your  enterprise  will  be  eminently  successful ;  but  you 
must  not  be  too  sanguine.  The  erection  of  a  College  is  the  work  of 
years  ;  and  no  organization  can  give  it  an  efficiency  beyond  the  demands 
of  the  actual  condition  of  society.  I  do  not  altogether  like  the  distribu 
tion  of  your  departments  of  instruction.  More  prominence  should  be 
given  to  the  Moral  Sciences.  It  is  too  much  to  assign  them  all  to  one  Pro 
fessor.  I  think,  too,  that  the  combination  of  Modern  and  Ancient  Lan 
guages  will  have  the  effect  of  preventing  an  adequate  attention  from  being 
paid  to  either.  I  am  afraid  that  your  course  of  study  has  not  been  suf 
ficiently  digested  ;  and  I  am  sure  that  experience  will  not  only  suggest, 
but  demand,  material  alterations  in  the  details  of  your  system.  It  will 
give  me  great  pleasure,  to  hear  from  you  often.  Let  our  old  correspon 
dence  be  renewed. 

"As  ever,  most  truly  yours, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 


ASSEMBLIES  OF   1847   AND  1848.  309 

A  second  of  these  letters  is  addressed  to  Professor 
Matthew  J.  Williams,  who  had  been  elected  in  Decem 
ber,  1846,  to  the  chair  of  Mathematics  in  the  South  Ca 
rolina  College.  The  friendship  between  the  two  was 
recent,  but  very  strong  and  sincere,  and  continued 
throughout  life.  Professor  Williams  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  a  man  of  liberal  and  catholic  views, 
gentle  and  loving  in  disposition;  in  every  respect  de 
serving  the  expressions  of  esteem  lavished  upon  him  in 
this  letter: 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  July  17,  1848. 

"My  DEAR  MAJOR:  I  received  your  kind  and  interesting  letter  last 
week,  and  would  be  glad  to  have  a  similar  infliction  every  week  of  my 
life.  We  had  often  spoken  of  you  in  the  family,  and  promised  ourselves 
much  gratification,  in  the  expectation  of  hearing  from  you ;  and  when, 
the  desired  document  arrived,  we  were  far  from  being  disappointed.  I 
count  it  one  of  the  happy  circumstances  of  my  life,  that  I  have  been 
brought  into  such  nearness  of  contact,  and  such  intimacy  of  communi 
cation,  with  one  who  daily  grows  upon  my  esteem,  and  to  whose  char 
acter  I  often  appeal,  as  illustrating  some  of  the  loveliest  graces  of  the 
gospel.  I  speak  with  the  utmost  candour,  when  I  assure  you  that  the 
impression  which  you  have  made  upon  me  is  no  stronger  than  that 
which  you  have  made  upon  other  members  of  the  Faculty,  particularly 
upon  the  President  and  Mr.  Pelham.  These  things  I  say,  not  to  flatter 
you,  but  to  shame  you  out  of  all  thoughts  of  ever  relinquishing  your 
post  here.  You  occupy  a  field  of  extended  usefulness,  a  position  suited 
to  your  talents  and  acquirements.  You  are  (what,  I  take  it,  was  never 
adequately  the  case  with  you  before)  appreciated;  and  while  this  should 
contribute  to  your  happiness,  it  increases  your  obligation  to  remain,  and 
devote  yourself,  in  this  field,  to  the  glory  of  God.  I  Lope,  therefore, 
that  you  will  listen  to  no  persuasions  from  any  quarter,  either  to  retire 
to  your  farm,  or  to  take  an  office  which  will  bring  you  more  directly 
into  the  society  of  your  brethren.  God  has  put  you  here,  and  you 
should  wait  till  He  removes  you.  I  will  say  no  more  on  this  point, 
though  I  have  felt  very  deeply  on  account  of  the  occasional  hints  which 
have  dropped  from  you,  touching  the  subject  of  a  removal. 

"  The  campus  is  a  scene  of  quiet,  amounting  to  desolation.  Nothing 
disturbs  the  dreary  stillness,  but  the  occasional  sound  of  the  hammer, 
from  the  buildings  which  are  in  the  process  of  erection.  The  President 
and  Pelham  are  all  that  remain  of  our  force,  and  how  long  they  will  stay  I 
am  unable  to  tell  you.  We  had  a  meeting  to-day  of  such  members  of 
the  Faculty  as  are  in  town,  and  such  members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 


310  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

as  could  be  induced  to  attend,  and  elected  a  bursar,  to  go  into  office  on 
the  1st  October,  and  to  remain  in  office  until  the  meeting  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees.  Colonel  Gladden,  who  has  just  returned  from  Mexico  with 
his  laurels  green  upon  him,  was  the  unanimous  choice  of  the  meeting. 
I  trust  that  he  will  prove  an  acquisition  to  the  College  ;  and  that  arrange 
ments  may  be  made,  under  his  administration,  to  relieve  the  Professors 
of  the  grievous  penance  of  attending  at  commons. 

"My  mode  of  life  here  is  all  that  I  could  desire,  as  to  physical  com 
fort.  I  sit  up  all  night,  reading,  musing,  and  smoking ;  and  just  before 
the  sun,  with  its  orient  beams,  dispels  ghosts,  goblins,  and  infernal 
spirits  to  their  respective  jails,  I  stretch  my  limbs  upon  an  ample  couch, 
continue  my  cogitations  till  my  soul  is  locked  in  the  silent  embrace  of 
slumber  sweet;  and  I  abide  in  the  land  of  dreams  until  it  becomes  a 
man  to  refresh  nature  in  a  more  active  way.  Ham,  coffee,  and  biscuits 
completely  restore  me  to  this  world  again  ;  and  after  a  proper  pause,  I 
proceed  to  commit  depredations  upon  watermelons,  which  would  be 
appalling  to  one  who  measured  the  danger  by  the  bulk  that  was  con 
sumed.  Sometimes,  after  these  vigorous  onsets,  I  give  no  dubious 
promise  of  attaining  a  judge-like  condition  of  corpulency ;  but  soon  the 
increased  enlargement  disappears,  and  I  am  like  a  dropsical  patient  just 
tapped.  The  truth  is,  I  have  no  hopes  of  growing  fat ;  I  am  lean,  lean, 
hopelessly  lean.  But  it  is  a  comfort,  that  all  of  my  friends  cannot  laugh 
at  me. 

"  I  was  very  much  gratified  at  your  commendation  of  my  long  article 
on  the  Elder'  question.  With  whatever  feebleness  they  are  stated,  it  is 
certain  to  my  mind  that  it  contains  principles  of  the  highest  importance, 
in  their  application  both  to  Church  and  State.  I  am  afraid  that  the  ten 
dency  of  things  in  this  country,  is  to  corrupt  a  representative  into  a  demo 
cratic  government ;  and  to  make  the  State  the  mere  creature  of  popular 
caprice.  The  question  of  civil  liberty  is  one  of  the  nicest  and  most 
interesting  in  the  whole  circle  of  political  inquiry ;  and  more  mistakes 
exist  in  regard  to  it,  than  upon  any  other  point  of  political  philosophy. 
France  is  now  blundering,  and  I  am  afraid  will  continue  to  blunder, 
until  her  redemption  becomes  hopeless.  A  ball  has  been  set  in  motion 
npon  the  relations  of  capital  and  labour,  whose  progress  it  will  be  ex 
tremely  difficult  to  arrest ;  but  the  Lord  reigns. 

"  The  present  posture  of  the  nations  baffles  the  speculations  of  philo 
sophers  and  statesmen.  I  turn  from  all  carnal  calculations  to  the  sure 
word  of  prophecy ;  and  as  I  believe  that  the  only  safe  guide  is  to  be 
found  in  the  prophetic  Scriptures,  I  have  begun  with  increased  zeal  the 
study  of  a  book,  which  has  heretofore  been  to  me,  as  it  has  been  to  the 
great  majority  of  Christians,  a  sealed  volume  :  the  Apocalypse  of  John. 
That  sublime  document  contains  the  history  of  the  world,  from  Christ 
to  the  end  of  time ;  and  though  its  figures  are  mystic,  they  are  not 
hopelessly  obscure.  There  is  a  key  which  can  unlock  its  secrets,  and 
make  its  hieroglyphics  speak  the  language  of  common  life.  We  are 


ASSEMBLIES  OF  1847  AND  1848.  311 

upon  the  eve  of  great  events  ;  and  watchfulness  and  prayer  are  the  pos 
ture  in  which  we  should  be  found.  God  is  riding  on  the  whirlwind,  and 
directing  the  storm ;  and  out  of  the  chaos  and  tumult  of  the  nations,  He 
will  surely  evolve  His  own  grand  purposes,  and  make  the  angry  passions 
of  men  subservient  to  the  scheme  of  His  glorious  providence.  *  *  * 
"Very  sincerely,  your  friend  and  brother, 

J.  H.  THOBNWEIX." 


CHAPTEK   XXII. 
PERSONAL  FRIENDSHIPS. 

CASES  OF  YOUNG  MEN  WHOM  HE  WAS  INSTRUMENTAL  IN  BRINGING  INTO  THE 
MINISTRY. — LETTER  TO  ONE  OF  THESE. —APPEAL  TO  A  YOUNG  FRIEND  ON 
PERSONAL  RELIGION.— His  LIBERALITY  IN  ASSISTING  OTHERS  TO  OBTAIN 
AN  EDUCATION. — DEATH  OF  A  YOUNG  FRIEND. — LETTER  TO  A  LICENTIATE, 

WHOM  HE  HAD  GUIDED  IN  STUDY. 

DURING  his  brief  pastoral  connexion  with  the  church 
at  Columbia,  in  1840,  Dr.  Thormvell  was  made  the 
instrument,  under  God,-  of  the  conversion  of  a  young  man, 
the  son  of  a  widow,  "a  mother  in  Israel,"  who  still  sur 
vives,  in  a  green  old  age,  to  bless  that  church  with  the 
influence  and  example  of  her  fervent  piety.  Of  course, 
this  laid  the  foundation  for  a  friendship  of  no  ordinary 
kind,  with  the  young  disciple,  who  henceforth  sat  at  his 
feet,  preparing  to  preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of  that 
grace,  whose  power  was  first  felt  under  the  exposition  that 
fell  from  his  lips.  It  was  the  old,  sweet  relation  which 
subsisted  between  Paul  and  his  son  Timothy,  whom  he 
had  "begotten  in  the  gospel."  It  must  have  boon  with 
emotions  of  devout  gratitude  to  God  that  Dr.  TJiornwell 
watched  the  career  of  his  young  protege,  from  his  early 
and  successful  ministry  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  until-  his 
transfer  to  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Prince  Edward, 
Virginia,  as  a  teacher  of  those  who  should  fill  the  pulpits 
of  the  land ;  a  man  whose  convictions  of  truth  are  not  a 
whit  less  intense  than  those  of  the  master  from  whom  he 
first  imbibed  them;  and  whose  superior  attainments  are 
veiled  beneath  a  humility  so  deep,  that  it  may  possibly 
conceal  what  should  be  more  conspicuously  revealed.  The 
singular  modesty  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  E.  Peck  will 

313 


314  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

recoil,  we  fear,  from  this  measure  of  publicity ;  vet  his- 
ardent  affection  for  one  to  whom  he  is  so  largely  indebted, 
will  allow  his  name  to  be  woven  thus  into  the  chaplet  that 
is  thrown  around  the  memory  of  his  friend.  This  personal 
reference  is  necessary,  as  an  introduction  to  some  precious 
letters,  which  were  surrendered  to  us,  with  this  statement 
from  the  recipient:  "One  of  these  letters  I  value  very 
highly,  not  only  as  a  memorial  of  his  kindness  to  me,  but 
as  an  evidence  of  his  single-hearted  devotion  to  our 
common  Lord.  It  was  of  infinite  service  to  me  at  the 
time  it  was  received;  and,  I  think,  might  be  of  great  ser 
vice  to  any  young  minister,  discouraged  in  his  work,  and 
weary  of  the  conflict  with  sin  in  his  own  heart,  with  the 
contradiction  of  sinners,  and  with  the  devil."  We  suspect 
the  letter  here  referred  to,  is  that  which  immediately  fol 
lows. 

To  the  Rev.  Thomas  E.  Peck: 


"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  August  4,  1848. 

"My  DEAR  THOMAS:  I  received  your  kind  and  welcome  letter  this 
evening;  and  proceed  to  give  you  the  strongest  possible  proof  of  the 
value  which  I  attach  to  your  correspondence,  by  answering  your  favour  in 
a  few  hours  after  the  reception  of  it.  You  are  the  frequent  theme  of  con 
versation  in  my  family,  and  we  all  feel  towards  you  as  we  would  feel  if  our 
own  blood  coursed  through  your  veins.  We  rejoice  to  hear  of  your  pros 
perity,  share  with  you  in  your  sorrows,  and  lament  the  hours  of  dark 
ness  which  so  frequently  come  upon  you.  I  am  glad  to  learn  that  your 
prospects  are  brightening  before  you,  though  I  have  never  entertained 
a  doubt  that  you  were  the  Lord's  instrument,  to  accomplish  the  Lord'a 
work,  in  the  sphere  of  your  labours.  When  the  first  stone  of  the  edifice 
in  which  you  minister  was  laid,  there  was  not  a  man,  of  all  who  engaged 
in  the  enterprise,  who  even  knew  you  by  name.  It  was  God  who  sent 
you  to  Baltimore,  when  the  building  was  ready  for  a  preacher.  He  put 
it  into  the  hearts  of  the  people  to  elect  you.  He  disposed  your  mind  to 
accept  the  call;  and  He  will  protect,  guide,  and  defend  you,  until  you 
shall  have  done  the  business  for  which  this  whole  train  of  providential 
dispensation  was  ordered  and  adjusted.  Have  faith  in. God ;  aim  singly 
at  His  glory ;  and  the  crooked  shall  be  made  straight,  and  the  rough 
places  plain.  Be  not  impatient  of  success  ;  for  the  purposes  of  Him  with 
whom  the  measures  of  time  are  unmeaning — one  day  being  as  a  thou 
sand  years,  and  a  thousand  years  as  one  day, — are  generally  as  slow  in 
their  development  as  they  are  majestic  in  their  nature.  Wait  on  thfr 


PERSONAL  FRIENDSHIPS.  315 

Lord ;  be  of  good  courage,  and  He  will  strengthen  thine  heart.  Wait, 
I  say,  on  the  Lord.  The  discipline  of  patience  is  one  of  those  precious 
trials  of  our  faith,  which  at  once  attest  its  reality,  and  measure  its  de 
gree.  I  am  preaching  to  you  the  same  lessons  which,  in  my  own  posi 
tion,  I  have  constantly  to  preach  to  myself ;  and  110  one  can  be  more 
sensible  than  I  am,  how  little  mere  preaching  avails  to  impress  them 
on  the  heart.  My  difficulty  lies,  (and  I  presume  it  is  also  the  case  with 
you,)  not  with  the  abstract  propositions,  but  with  their  practical  relations 
to  myself.  If  I  could  only  be  assured  that  I  was  in  the  way  of  duty, 
labouring  where  the  Almighty  would  have  me  to  labour,  and  as  He 
would  have  me  to  labour ;  if  I  were  not  conscious  that  so  much  is  min 
gled  with  my  services,  my  purposes  and  plans,  which  He  cannot  ap 
prove  ;  it  seems  to  me  that  I  could  easily  in  patience  possess  my  soul. 
But  the  suggestion  often  arises,  that  perhaps  I  have  run  where  I  was 
not  sent ;  that  I  am  more  zealous  for  my  own  name  than  the  Lord's 
glory ;  and  that  my  want  of  success  is,  after  all,  a  righteous  judgment 
for  my  sins.  These  are  the  thoughts  which  cast  down  my  soul,  and 
cause  it  to  be  disquieted  within  me ;  these  are  the  difficulties  in  the  way 
of  patient  waiting  on  the  Lord ;  these  are  things  which  make  me  con 
stantly  feel  that  I  have  more  concern  with  repentance  than  with  resig 
nation  ;  more  to  fear  than  to  hope.  How  precious  is  the  reflection,  that 
the  blood  of  Christ  cleanses  from  all  sin,  even  from  the  uncleanness  and 
foulness  of  those  who  bear  the  vessels  of  the  Lord !  Of  all  sins,  those 
of  a  minister  would  seem  to  be  the  most  aggravated ;  and  of  all  men, 
preachers  must  cherish  the  deepest  consciousness  of  the  necessity  of 
atonement.  I  bless  God  for  the  gift  of  His  Son.  But  while  we  are 
conscious  of  unworthiness,  and  deeply  bewail  our  sins  and  iniquities, 
we  should  not  forget  to  magnify  our  office,  and  implore  the  assistanco 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  we  may  address  ourselves  to  its  duties  with 
faithfulness  and  zeal.  It  is  a  great  matter  to  understand  what  it  is  to 
be  a  preacher,  and  how  preaching  should  be  done.  Effective  sermons 
are  the  offspring  of  study,  of  discipline,  of  pr.xyer,  and  especially  of  the 
unction  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  They  ought  to  combine  the  characteristic 
excellencies  of  every  other  species  of  composition  intended  for  delivery ; 
and  ought  to  be  pronounced,,  not  merely  with  the  earnestness  of  faith, 
but  the  constraining  influence  of  heaven-born  charity.  They  should  be 
seen  to  come  from  the  heart,  and  from  the  heart  as  filled  with  the  love 
of  Christ,  and  the  love  of  souls.  Depend  upon  it,  that  there  is  but  little 
preaching  in  the  world ;  and  it  is  a  mystery  of  grace  and  of  Divine 
power  that  God's  cause  is  not  ruined  in  the  world,  when  we  consider 
the  qualifications  of  many  of  its  professed  ministers  to  preach  it.  My 
own  performances  in  this  way  fill  me  with  disgust.  I  never  have  made, 
much  less  preached,  a  SERMON  in  my  life  ;  and  I  am  beginning  to  despair 
of  ever  being  able  to  do  it.  May  the  Lord  give  you  more  knowledge 
and  grace,  and  singleness  of  purpose ! 

"I  am  glad  that  you  were  pleased  with  my  article  on  the  Elder  ques 
tion.  Palmer  has  sent  you,  by  Morse,  a  few  copies  of  it  for  gratuitous 
distribution.  The  sentence  which  perplexes  you  does  not  seem  to  me 


316  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOBNWELL. 

to  be  fairly  liable  to  the  interpretation  you  put  Tipon  it.  I  do  not  say 
that  all  ministers,  who  have  been  lawfully  called  and  ordained,  have  a 
right  to -sit  in  Presbytery  ;  but  that  they  are  Presbyters.  At  their  ordi 
nation  they  become  so,  and,  according  to  our  book,  the  Elder's  office  is 
perpetual.  They  may  cease  to  act  as  Presbyters ;  but  they  can  never 
cease,  save  by  deposition,  to  be  Presbyters.  Whether  all  Presbyters  are 
entitled,  without  regard  to  circumstances,  to  deliberate  and  vote  in  the 
councils  of  the  Church,  is  a  very  different  proposition.  I  agree  with 
you,  that  the  Session  is  the  radical  court  111  our  Church;  but  then,  it  is 
equally  true  that  all  our  courts  are  essentially  the  same  ;  and  I  am  not 
prepared  to  say  that  a  seat  in  some  existing  Session  is  indispensable  to 
the  rightful  possession  of  a  seat  in  a  higher  judicatory.  You  concede 
the  point  in  the  case  of  evangelists.  To  say  that  they  are  extraordinary 
officers,  is  only  to  say  that  they  belong  not  to  the  order  of  a  settled  and 
organized  congregation,  and,  therefore,  cannot  be  members  of  a  Session  ; 
but  they  can  sit  and  preside  in  Presbyteries,  as  we  know  from  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles  and  the  Epistles  of  Paul.  Hence  the  proposition  cannot 
be  true,  that  all  ministers  must  be  members  of  Presbytery  in  order  to 
act  as  Presbyters  anywhere  else.  A  lawful  ordination  accomplishes  two 
results :  it  makes  a  man  a  minister  and  elder,  both  in  relation  to  the 
particular  church  which  calls  him,  and  to  the  whole  Church  of  Christ  at 
large.  He  cannot  be  made  a  minister  and  elder  without  a  special  desig 
nation  ;  but  as  this  special  designation  involves  a  general  relation,  that 
does  not  cease  because  the  other  may  have  ceased.  He  may  still  act  as 
a  minister  and  elder,  though  not  a  member  of  any  Session.  But  when 
a  man  is  absohitely  without  charge,  when  he  is  neither  a  pastor  nor  evan 
gelist,  nor  filling  an  office  to  which  he  is  elected  by  the  Church,  then  he 
refuses  to  act  as  a  minister  or  elder,  and  ought  not  to  be  allowed  to  sit 
in  Presbytery.  A  man,  however,  who  has  never  been  ordained  upon  a 
call,  or  as  a  true  evangelist,  is  not,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  a  Presbyter  at  all ; 
and  such  men  can  sit  in  no  court.  But  I  have  not  room  to  enlarge. 
Tell  McElderry  t^iat  I  am  looking  anxiously  for  a  letter  from  him.  Ke- 
member  me  very  kindly  to  Mrs.  S.,  and  to  her  excellent  husband,  when 
you  write  to  him  ;  as  also  to  Boggs  and  his  family.  I  want  you  to  write 
something  for  our  Review.  It  will  do  you  good  as  well  as  us.  Smyth 
completed  in  the  coming  number  his  dissertation  upon  the  call  to  the 
ministry.  I  was  much  amused  at  his  confounding  my  notions  with  the 
doctrine  of  the  Quakers.  Logic  is  evidently  not  his  forte.  Mrs.  Thorn- 
well  and  James  Anderson  send  their  kindest  remembrances  to  3^011.  As 
you  are  in  the  weekly  receipt  of  your  mother's  newspapers,  it  would  be 
presumption  in  me  to  send  you  a  budget  of  news.  I  am  glad  to  be  ex 
empt  from  the  responsibility  :  for,  like  the  needy  knife-grinder's  story, 
I  have  none  to  tell,  sir.  I  was  disappointed  in  going  to  Athens.  I 
regretted  it  very  much ;  but  the  condition  of  my  family  was  such  that  I 
could  not  leave  home.  Palmer  has  the  blues ;  thinks  he  can't  preach ; 
but  he  lias  no  reason  to  be  dissatisfied.  Write  soon. 

"Very  truly,  as  ever,  your  friend  and  brother, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 


PERSONAL  FRIENDSHIPS.  317 

Dr.  Thornwell's  warm  sympathy  with  young  men 
brought  him  into  easy  relations  with  many  of  this  inte 
resting  class ;  and  he  embraced  every  fitting  occasion  to 
press  upon  them  the  claims  of  personal  religion.  The 
following  letter  affords  an  illustration  of  his  method  in 
such  cases.  It  is  addressed  to  Mr.  Martin  P.  Crawford, 
of  Lancaster  District,  a  young  relative  of  Mrs.  Thornwell, 
to  whom  he  was  greatly  attached,  and  who,  while  a  stu 
dent  in  College,  was  an  inmate  of  his  house.  This  young 
man  died  in  April,  1862,  in  the  hospital  at  Richmond,  a 
victim  of  the  late  war ;  which  event,  though  occurring  but 
a  short  time  before  his  own  death,  Dr.  Thornwell  took  to 
heart  as  a  sharp  and  personal  sorrow : 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  April  27,  1848. 

"  MY  DEAR  MART  :  You  may  be  surprised  at  receiving  a  letter  from  me ; 
but  I  can  assure  you  that  you  are  often  remembered,  and  are  the  frequent 
subject  of  interest  and  conversation  in  my  family  circle.  The  favourable 
impression  which  you  made  upon  me,  while  a  member  of  my  household, 
apart  from  the  considerations  which  will  readily  suggest  themselves  to 
you,  has  caused' me  to  feel  the  deepest  solicitude  in  reference  to  your 
welfare.  And  when  I  speak  of  your  welfare,  I  hope  you  will  not  understand 
me  as  alluding  to  your  temporal  prosperity,  or  the  success  of  your  efforts 
in  the  world.  In  relation  to  this,  I  have  never  had  the  least  degree  of 
concern.  Your  exemption  from  bad  habits,  your  general  manliness  and 
independence  of  character,  and  the  abundant  means  with  which  God  has 
blessed  you,  are  sufficient  to  remove  all  anxiety  from  the  minds  of  your 
friends,  in  regard  to  your  prospects  in  the  present  life.  My  solicitude 
extends  to  your  future,  your  eternal  interests ;  and  I  hope  you  will  excuse 
me  for  suggesting  a  few  friendly  hints  on  a  subject  which  your  own  good 
sense  must  assure  you  is  of  the  highest  importance.  '  What  is  a  man 
profited,  if  he  should  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul  ? '  I 
know  that  you  cannot  be  wholly  unconcerned  about  death,  judgment,  and 
eternity.  Your  previous  education,  and  the  providences  of  God  towards 
you,  have  forced  these  topics,  to  some  extent,  upon  your  mind.  You 
are  not  now,  for  the  first  time,  to  learn  that  you  are  a  sinner  against  God, 
and  that  the  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die.  But,  my  dear  friend,  there 
may  be  a  general,  a  formal,  and  vague  admission  of  your  guilt,  without 
any  adequate  conviction  of  me  nature,  the  extent,  or  the  malignity  of 
your  disease.  It  is  not  possible  that  a  finite  understanding  can  fully 
comprehend  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin.  It  pervades  the  whole 
mind,  darkens  the  understanding,  pollutes  the  affections,  perverts  the 
will,  and  enslaves  the  soul  to  the  lusts  of  the  flesh  and  the  dominion  of 


318  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

the  world.  It  is  born  with  us ;  grows  with  our  growth,  and  strengthens 
with  our  strength ;  and  so  utterly  alienates  the  heart  from  God,  that  we 
can  never  be  fit  for  his  service,  without  experiencing  a  new  and  spiritual 
birth.  I  hope  that  you  will  pray  to  God  to  impart  to  you  His  Spirit,  in 
order  that  you  may  be  led  to  see  and  to  feel  something  of  the  horrors  of 
your  true  condition  as  a  sinner  against  Him.  The  whole  revelation  you 
could  not  bear;  but  I  do  not  wish  you  to  be  satisfied  with  vague  and 
general  admissions.  I  wish  you  to  be  persuaded  of  the  real  extent  and 
Ibathesomeness  of  the  abominations  that  fill  the  chambers  of  imagery  in 
that  most  hateful  object,  a  natural  heart.  The  core  of  the  evil  is  to  be 
found  in  its  ungodliness.  God  is  not  in  all  its  thoughts.  The  sinner 
lives  just  as  he  would  live  if  there  were  no  God  at  all.  He  feels  not  his 
obligation  to  serve  and  to  glorify  that  Being,  in  whom  he  lives,  and 
moves,  and  has  his  being.  This  is  enough  to  make  all  God's  creatures 
conspire  against  him.  Now,  my  dear  Mart,  you  may  be  free  from  vice  ; 
you  may  be  moral,  and  honourable,  and  consistent  in  your  deportment ; 
you  may  be  an  affectionate  son,  a  faithful  friend,  and  an  upright  citizen  ; 
but  still,  with  all  these  virtues,  which  none  more  cheerfully  and  gladly 
concedes  to  you  than  I  do>,  you  are,  by  nature,  a  sinner  against  God ;  or, 
as  the  Apostle  expresses  it,  without  God,  without  Christ,  without  hope, 
in  the  world.  This  is  your  case,  the  case  of  every  unconverted  man ; 
and  it  is  a  case  of  unspeakable  danger.  God  will  by  no  means  clear  the 
guilty.  His  wrath  is  revealed  from  heaven  against  all  ungodliness  and 
unrighteousness  of  men  ;  and  no  impenitent  transgressor  shall  be  per 
mitted  to  escape. 

"  These  solemn  and  momentous  truths  I  hope  you  will  seriously  and 
prayerfully  ponder.  They  will  lead  you,  under  the  blessing  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  to  apprehend  your  need  of  a  Saviour.  They  will  not  fit  you 
for  the  Saviour,  but  they  will  convince  you  how  urgent  is  your  case. 
They  will  not  of  themselves  make  you  any  better ;  they  cannot  change 
your  heart ;  but  they  may  be  the  means  of  conducting  you  to  Him  who 
can  abundantly  pardon,  and  cleanse  you  from  all  unrighteousness.  Jesus 
Christ  is  our  only  hope.  We  must  trust  in  Him,  or  perish.  God  re 
veals  and  proclaims  Him  to  you,  and  to  all  men,  as  a  Saviour ;  and  He 
has  made  it  your  duty  to  entrust  your  soul  into  His  hands.  The  blood 
of  Jesus  can  pui-ge  the  guiltiest  conscience,  and  the  spirit  of  Jesus  can 
change  the  hardest  heart.  He  is  not  only  able  to  save ;  He  is  as  willing 
as  He  is  able.  He  is  our  brother  in  the  flesh.  He  has  a  heart  to  sym 
pathize  with  us  in  our  troubles  and  distresses.  We  can  go  to  Him  in  all 
our  guilt  and  filthiness,  with  our  hearts  as  millstones,  and  our  minds  as 
dark  as  night ;  and  He  will  cheerfully  receive  us,  give  us  beauty  for 
ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for  sorrow,  and  the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit 
of  heaviness.  But  you  may  complain  that  you  would,  but  cannot,  believe. 
It  is  true,  faith  is  not  in  the  power  of  nature ;  but  it  is  your  duty  to 
pray  God  to  bestow  it  upon  you,  to  enlighten  your  mind,  so  that  you  may 
see  the  glory  of  Christ,  and  to  renew  your  heart,  so  that  you  may  feel 
His  unspeakable  preciousness.  You  may  complain  of  the  hardness  of 


PERSONAL  FRIENDSHIPS.  319 

your  heart,  and  lament  that  you  cannot  repent  of  sin  ;  that  you  cannot  feel 
as  you  desire.  It  is  true,  the  natural  heart  is  hard  as  the  nether  millstone  ; 
but  Christ  does  not  require  you. to  come  with  a  soft  heart.  He  gives  you 
repentance.  You  are  to  go  to  Him  simply  as  a  sinne?;  and  cast  yourself 
upon  God's  mercy  through  Him.  That  is  your  only  plea.  You  may  be 
tempted  to  delay  until  you  have  made  yourself  better,  but  this  is  a  sug 
gestion  of  the  devil. 

"  Let  me  urge  upon  you  to  be  much  engaged  in  the  prayerful  study  of 
the  Scriptures.  Be  not  ashamed  to  ask  God,  and  to  depend  upon  God  to 
enable  you  to  understand  them.  It  would  be  well,  too,  to  read  books  on 
experimental  religion,  such  as  *  Boston's  Fourfold  State,'  *  Halyburton's 
Great  Concern,'  and  *  Doddridge's  Kise  and  Progress.'  Be  very  careful 
not  to  resist  any  light  that  you  may  have.  Grieve  not  the  Spirit,  Guard 
against  the  spirit  of  procrastination  and  delay.  Seek  the  Lord  with  your 
whole  heart,  and  seek  Him  diligently.  These  few  hints  I  have  hastily 
and  rapidly  thrown  out,  from  a  sincere  desire  to  promote  the  best  and 
the  highest  interest  of  one  whom  I  have  long  regarded  as  a  devoted 
friend.  I  shall  not  cease  to  pray  for  your  salvation  ;  and  if,  when  I  see 
you  again,  you  shall  have  been  enabled  to  make  your  calling  and  election 
sure,  it  will  be  a  matter  of  unspeakable  joy  to  me.  I  shall  always  be 
more  than  glad  to  hear  from  you. 

"  As  ever,  your  sincere  friend, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

It  forms  a  happy  sequel  to  this  letter,  to  mention  that 
the  subject  of  so  much  religious  solicitude  not  only  be 
came  a  member  of  the  visible  Church,  but  filled  the  office 
of  a  ruler;  adding  the  graces  of  the  Spirit  to  natural  qual 
ities  as  generous  and  noble  as  ever  formed  the  character 
of  a  virtuous  man. 

Whilst  recording  these  instances  of  private  friendship, 
it  will  be  appropriate  to  state,  that  Dr.  Thornwell  amply 
repaid  to  others  the  benefits  which,  in  his  own  youth,  had 
been  lavished  upon  himself.  Throughout  his  connexion 
with  the  College,  he  was  rarely  without  a  beneficiary  on 
his  hands,  whom  he  graciously  assisted  in  obtaining  a 
liberal  education.  Naturally  this  charity  was  extended 
to  those  of  his  own  blood ;  and  in  the  different  branches 
of  his  family  circle,  there  were  those,  more  or  less  re 
lated  to  him,  whose  necessities  justified  this  call  upon 
his  liberality.  We  are  not  disposed  to  lift  the  veil  over 
these.  It  was  not,  however,  confined  to  them.  We  may 


320  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

be  permitted,  at  least,  to  record  his  kindness  to  one,  the 
younger  brother  of  his  intimate  friend,  the  Rev.  Pierpont 
E.  Bishop,  whom  he  partially  sustained,  whilst  laying  in 
College  the  foundation  of  that  scholarship  which  he  pur 
posed  to  use  to  God's  glory,  in  the  ministry  of  His  Son. 
It  was  the  Divine  pleasure  to  call  him  to  a  higher  ser 
vice,  in  the  kingdom  which  is  above.  In  his  senior  year, 
within  a  month  of  graduation,  when  the  highest  honours 
of  his  class  had  been  already  decreed  to-  him,  he  was  re 
moved  by  death.  During  a  tedious  and  wasting  illness 
from  typhus  fever,  lie  wras  tenderly  nursed,  as  though  he 
had  been  a  brother,  in  Dr.  Thorn-well's  house;  and  after 
death,  honourable  mention  of  his  virtues  was  made,  in  an 
elegant  Latin  epitaph  upon  his  tomb,  erected  by  his 
felloAV  students,  in  the  Presbyterian  grave-yard,  at  Co 
lumbia. 

The  letters  which  follow  will  introduce  to  the  reader 
another,  whose  grateful  heart  looks  up  to  Dr.  Thornwell 
as  a  spiritual  father;  who,  under  the  stimulus  of  his  fa 
vour,  broke  off  from  mercantile  life,  in  order  to  devote 
himself  to  the  ministry  of  reconciliation.  Many  years  of 
faithful  labour  have  separated  him  from  the  time,  when 
he  first  entered  upon  the  severe  novitiate  which  was  ne 
cessary,  to  prepare  him  for  the  work  he  still  lives  to  pur 
sue;  but  during  all  those  years  of  patient  study,  he  was 
aided  by  the  counsel  and  friendship  which  breathe  them 
selves  into  these  lines: 


"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  February  2,  1847. 

"  MY  DEAR  MORSE  :  Though  you  may  think  that  I  ought  to  begin  iny 
letter  with  apologies  and  excuses,  yet  I  shall  just  throw  myself  upon 
your  generosity  at  once,  presuming  that  your  knowledge  of  me  will  sug 
gest  to  your  own  mind  the  true  reason  of  my  not  having  written  before. 

"  We  have  just  had  a  sad  visitation  in  the  death  of  M ,  whom  you 

may  know  to  have  been  one  of  the  most  promising  members  of  the 
^Senior  Class.  He  died  of  typhus  fever.  The  event  came  unexpectedly 
upon  us.  We  all  thought  that  he  was  getting  well,  when  his  disease 
took  a  sudden  turn,  and  carried  him  off  in  a  few  hours.  I  am  unable  to 
speak  with  any  confidence  of  his  religious  condition.  His  mind  had 


PERSONAL  FRIENDSHIPS. 

been  seriously  turned  to  the  contemplation  of  the  one  thing  needful, 
and  there  were  some  things  about  his  case  that  were  encouraging.  It  is 
enough  to  know  that  he  is  in  the  hands  of  God. 

"The  thing  which  presses  upon  me,  is  the  condition  of  those  he  has 
left  behind,  his  class-mates  and  companions.  It  is  my  earnest  and  con 
stant  prayer,  that  God  may  sanctify  this  visitation  to  the  spiritual  good 
of  the  College.  I  hope  that  you  do  not  cease  to  pray  for  us.  We  need 
the  prayers  of  all  God's  children.  My  anxiety  in  regard  to  the  religious 
condition  of  the  College  has,  for  some  time  back,  been  a  heavy  burden 
to  my  spirits.  All  things  externally  are  going  on  well.  I  have  never 
known  such  admirable  order,  quiet,  and  regularity.  Our  large  Sopho 
more  Class  is  unusually  promising  and  well-behaved ;  but  in  the  midst 
of  our  numbers,  few  are  professedly  pious.  The  thought  that  so  many 
young  men  of  promise  should  be  without  God  in  the  world  is  almost 
too  much  for  me  Oh!  that  God  would  pour  out  His  Spirit  upon  us! 
I  have  had  a  sort  of  secret  hope  that  the  death  of  M may  be  de 
signed,  in  the  good  providence  of  God,  to  prove  a  spiritual  blessing.  I 
have  been  in  hopes  that  He  meant  it  for  good ;  and,  though  I  cannot 
state  my  reasons,  the  impression  exists,  and  has  somewhat  strengthened 
my  hands.  I  shah1  preach  a  sermon  in  reference  to  this  matter,  next 
Sunday. 

"Dr.  F- % is  also  lying  very  low.     There  is  little,  if  any,  hope  of  his 

recovery.  He  himself  expects  to  die.  I  trust  that  he  is  prepared.  His 
religious  exercises  have  been  very  strong  and  marked.  My  conversations 
with  him  have  been  refreshing  to  my  own  soul.  His  family  is  most 
sadly  distressed ;  and  his  death,  if  it  should  take  place,  will  be  seriously 
felt. 

"Ah  me !  what  is  life  ?  Take  away  the  hopes  of  a  blessed  immortality, 
and  what  wise  man  would  desire  to  live  ?  My  dear  friend,  live  for  eter 
nity.  It  is  a  matter  of  very  little  consequence  whether  you  spend  your 
time  here  in  rags  or  a  palace.  We  shall  soon  be  gone  ;  then  comes  our 
DESTINY,  and  for  that  we  shotild  strive  to  be  prepared.  May  God  give 
you  grace  to  be  supremely  devoted  to  His  cause ;  for  that  is  the  only 
wisdom.  My  chief  regrets,  in  looking  upon  the  past,  are  occasioned  by 
the  feebleness,  the  siiifulness,  the  slothfulness  of  my  spiritual  labours. 
You  cannot  learn  too  soon,  nor  too  well.  Oh !  that  I  knew  the  lesson 
better,  that  self-denial,  amounting  to  the  crucifixion  of  the  flesh,  is  in 
dispensable  to  the  enjoyment  of  religious  peace  and  comfort!  Deny 
thyself,  and  take  thy  cross ;  this  is  our  vocation.  What  have  we  to  do 
with  worldly  ease  and  carnal  indulgences,  when  heaven  is  before  us.  and 
Christ  is  waiting  to  receive  us  ?  What  signify  crosses  and  privations, 
when  we  are  looking  for  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of 
glory  ?  I  want  you  to  read  McCheyne's-  Life,  published  by  our  Board. 
I  cannot  tell  you  how  much  use  that  little  book  has  been  of  to  me.  Read 
it,  and  pray  over  it ;  and  may  God  bless  it  to  your  soul,  as,  I  hope,  He 
has  done  to  mine.  Let  me  hear  from  you  soon.  * 

"  Very  truly,  as  ever,  , 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 


322  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

To  tlie  same: 

"SOUTH  CAKOLINA  COLLEGE,  April  6,  1848. 

"MY  DEAR  MOESE  :  If  I  have  not  written  to  you  before,  it  has  not 
been  from  any  want  of  interest  in  your  affairs.  But  the  incurable  habit 
of  procrastination,  and  my  violent  repugnance  to  the  use  of  the  pen, 
compel  me  to  draw  largely  on  the  patience  and  forbearance  of  my  friends. 
I  have  again  and  again  resolved  to  write  to  you,  and  again  and  again 
"been  diverted  from  my  purpose. 

"  I  do  not  know  that  I  can  give  you  any  material  assistance  in  the  di 
rection  of  your  studies.  Witsius  is  a  standard  work.  It  would  be  well 
to  read,  in  connection  with  him,  Boston  on  the  Covenants ;  though  the 
two  books  are  not  to  be  compared  in  point  of  learning,  scholarship,  and 
general  ability.  But  Boston  was  eminently  imbued  with  the  spirit  of 
the  gospel.  On  Church  government,  there  are  few  valuable  works 
defending  our  views  that  are  accessible.  '  On  many  accounts,  it  would 
be  well  to  read  the  great  work  of  Hooker,  on  Ecclesiastical  Polity ;  it 
contains  the  best  defence  of  Episcopacy  that  has  been  written.  Owen's 
works  on  Church  government  are  also  truly  valuable.  But  I  consider 
nothing  necessary  to  licensure,  in  this  department,  but  the  principles 
embodied  in  our  standards.  The  extended  study  of  the  Congregational 
and  Prelatical  schemes  will  be  the  work  of  future  years.  In  Church  his 
tory,  Milner  and  Mosheim  will  be  sufficient  for  the  present.  But  I  would 
earnestly  inculcate  the  systematic  study  of  the  Bible.  Take  up  book  by 
took,  and  endeavour  to  master  it,  to  digest  its  contents  into  order,  and 
to  have  a  general  scheme  of  it  in  your  niind.  Study  the  age  of  each 
writer,  his  peculiarities  ;  and  in  this  way  you  will  make  satisfactory  pro 
gress  in  Biblical  criticism.  Gray's  Key  to  the  Old  Testament  will  be  a 
great  help.  Home's  Introduction  will  also  assist  you.  But  much  de 
pends  upon  yourself. 

' '  You  must  exercise  your  own  judgment,  in  prayerful  dependence 
upon  God,  in  the  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures.  I  hardly  know  what 
general  commentary  to  recommend.  All  will  aid  you,  and  none  can  be 
fully  trusted.  ;  Poole's  Synopsis '  has  some  advantages,  as  presenting 
the  views  of  a  multitude  of  critics,  which  Scott,  Henry,  Whitby,  Lowth, 
etc.,  do  not  possess  ;  but  you  can  hardly  get  access  to  it  in  the  country. 
Real  progress,  however,  can  be  made  without  a  multitude  of  books. 
Compare  the  Bible  with  itself ;  and  you  will  be  surprised  to  find  how  one 
part  throws  light  upon  another.  I  trust  that  the  author  of  the  Bible 
may  be  your  great  teacher. 

"You  will  find  it  interesting,  to  study  the  Confessions  and  Apologies 
of  the  Reformed  Clmrches.  This  will  show  you  the  substantial  unity  of 
faith  that  has  prevailed  among  God's  people  ;  and  these  Confessions  are, 
besides,  most  valuable  compends  of  theology.  The  '  Corpus  et  Syntagma,' 
etc.,  and  '  Niemeyer's  Collectio,'  will  be  sufficient  for  your  purpose.  But 
I  will  not  trouble  you  ^vith  any  further  hints.  Your  studies  must  depend 
much  upon  your  opportunities. 

' '  My  family  are  as  usual.     Patty  has  begun  to  go  to  school,  and  is 


PERSONAL  FRIENDSHIPS.  323 

perfectly  delighted.  The  General*  would  like  to  go,  but  we  think  him 
too  small.  He  has  a  bright  notion  of  shaving,  and  getting  him  a  wife. 
James  Henley  is  flourishing ;  though  he  and  his  mother,  just  now,  are 
on  cross-questions  touching  the  matter  of  his  waking  up  after  midnight 
and  eating  a  big  supper.  She  wishes  to  break  him  of  the  habit ;  but  he 
demurs  against  her  purpose,  as  a  cruel  proceeding.  The  baby  promises 
to  be  a  man,  but  he  continues' to  be  anonymous.  Write  to  me  soon. 
"Very  truly,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

To  the  same : 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGK,  February  22,  1849. 

"MY  DEAB  MORSE  :  Don't  be  scared  at  this  small  paper;  it  is  very 
nearly  as  large  as  yours,  and  I  can  put  more  in  it  than  you  did  in  yours. 
I  hope — indeed,  I  have  no  doubt — that  you  will  pass  your  trials  success 
fully  ;  and  then  you  will  feel  as  you  never  felt  before.  Responsibility 
contemplated  at  a  distance,  is  very  different  from  the  sense  of  it  actually 
pressing  on  the  soul.  You  will  often  be  compelled  to  exclaim,  Who  is 
sufficient  for  these  things?  and  in  your  ignorance,  dulness,  coldness, 
and  incompetency,  you  will  find  no  retreat  but  a  throne  of  grace,  and 
the  promises  of  an  all-sufficient  God.  That  you  may  be  eminently  use 
ful,  is  my  fervent  prayer.  I  can  give  you  no  aid  in  regard  to  a  field  of 
labour.  The  churches  mentioned  by  Brother  Bishop  are  very  feeble  ; 
and  I  can  say  nothing  of  the  extent  of  the  field  they  will  open  to  you. 
You  must  go  and  see  for  yourself. 

"The  affairs  of  the  College  are  getting  on  as  usual.  The  new  Pro 
fessor  has  arrived,  and  is  giving  entire  satisfaction.  I  have  seen  but 
little  of  him  yet,  but  my  impression  is  favoiirable.  Preston  is  in  a  very 
precarious  state.  His  friends  entertain  doubts  as  to  the  possibility  of 
his  entire  recovery.  He  may  be  restored  to  such  an  extent  as  to  perform 
the  physical  conditions  of  life  ;  but  it  is  apprehended  that  he  will  never 
be  himself  again.  I  hope  that  these  forebodings  may  not  prove  true, 
but  I  cannot  say  how  well  or  ill-founded  they  are.  I  trust  that  his  afflic 
tion  may  be  truly  sanctified ;  and  that  he  may  be  made  a  partaker  of 
what  is  better  than  intellect,  eloquence,  or  fame. 

"  The  next  number  of  the  Review  will  contain  some  of  my  cogita'/tons, 
which,  as  usual,  do  not  amount  to  much,  always  excepting  the  article  on 
the  Elder  question.  What  do  you  think  ?  I  actually  went  to  hear  Wil 
son  sing  his  Scotch  songs.  I  attended  his  concerts  two  nights,  and 
would  probably  have  gone  the  third,  if  it  nad  not  been  Saturday,  and 
funds  rather  low.  It  was,  indeed,  a  treat ;  and  I  begin  to  think  that, 
after  all,  I  really  have  some  music  in  my  soul.  The  Major  was  still 
more  delighted  than  myself.  He  even  ventured  out  on  Saturday  night, 
and  I  am  afraid  thought  about  it  on  Sunday.  *  *  * 

"  You  must  come  and  see  us  upon  your  journey  to  or  from  Presbytery. 
"Very  truly,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

*  A  little  boy  of  four  years  of  age,  named  after  General  Gillespie. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

STATE  EDUCATION. 

VIEW  OF  THE  STATE'S  OBLIGATION  TO  CONTROL  EDUCATION. — OPPOSED  TO 
DENOMINATIONAL  EDUCATION. — CAUTIOUS  INQUIRIES  INTO  THE  SUBJECT. 

HlS  BOOK  ON  KOMANISM. — ESTIMATE  OF  IT  BY  THE  "EDINBURGH  RE 
VIEW.  "— BROWNSON'S  ATTACK. — LETTERS  ON  THE  PROVINCE  OF  THE 
CHURCH  IN  EDUCATION. — His  OPINIONS  DECLARED  IN  A  LETTER  TO 
GOVERNOR  MANNING. 

DR.  THORN  WELL'S  connection  with  the  South  Caro 
lina  College  almost  compelled  him  to  become  the  advo 
cate  of  State  education.  We  do  not  mean,  of  course,  that 
his  opinions  were  determined  by  that  fact,  for  no  man  ever 
lived  whose  convictions  were  founded  less  upon  acciden 
tal  associations  of  any  sort ;  but  simply  that  the  subject 
had  a  deeper  interest  to  him  in  that  position,  and  that  a 
degree  of  necessity  was  put  upon  him  to  stand  forth  as  a 
champion  on  this  side  of  the  controversy,  then  pending  in 
the  country.  He  unquestionably  took  a  wide  view  of  the 
prerogatives  and  responsibility  of  the  State  ;  and,  perhaps, 
fully  coincided  with  his  favourite,  Aristotle,  in  the  aphor 
ism,  TTO^C  Y&OIJLGV/)  fjisv  rob  £ttv  IWxsv,  ouaa  di  rou  e&  C7^. 
Among  the  highest  obligations  of  the  State  he  reckoned 
this,  of  providing  for  the  education  of  her  sons. 

His  sentiments,  too,  in  relation  to  the  Church,  forbade 
his  subscribing  to  the  opposite  doctrine,  which  places 
secular  education  among  the  positive  duties  she  is  called 
to  fulfil.  On  the  contrary,  all  the  controversies  in  which 
he  had  been  engaged  turned  upon  the  assertion,  that  she 
was  a  purely  spiritual  body,  instituted  for  exclusively 
spiritual  ends,  and  limited  in  her  authority  by  the  express 
law  of  her  King  and  Head,  which  she  might  not  trans 
cend  in  a  singular  particular.  According  to  his  strict 

325 


326  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

construction  of  her  charter,  her  duty  terminates  with 
the  religious  training  of  mankind.  The  sanctuary  is  her 
class-room;  the  pulpit  her  chair ;  and  the  gospel  of  Jesus, 
her  discipline.  It  is  not  the  historian's  province  to  arbi 
trate  in  such  a  controversy;  but  only  to  set  forth  the 
opinions  held  by  the  subject  of  his  story.  He  found  able 
critics  upon  either  hand:  those  who  upheld,  in  this  mat 
ter,  the  prerogative  of  the  Church ;  and  those  who  as 
stoutly  denied  his  postulate  touching  the  duty  of  the 
State. 

The  impression  has  been  created  in  some  quarters  that 
upon  this,  as  well  as  upon  some  other  -ecclesiastical  ques 
tions,  Dr.  Thornwell's  opinions  were  somewhat  modified 
in  the  later  years  of  his  life.  A  highly-esteemed  minis 
ter  has  expressed  a  hint  of  this  sort  to  the  writer  of  these 
pages,  adding,  with  a  tone  of  regret :  "  And  yet  I  consider 
his  defence  of  the  position,  that  the  Church  is  simply  and 
nakedly  a  witness  for  the  truth  of  God,  as  revealed  in 
His  Word,  as  the  most  important  service  rendered  by 
him  to  the  Church,  in  the  department  of  ecclesiasticism." 

We  more  than  suspect  this  misapprehension  to  have 
its  origin  in  two  sources.  Dr.  Thornwell  was  never  fac 
tious  in  his  opposition  to  views  prevalent  in  the  Church. 
Intense  and  clear  as  his  own  convictions  to  the  contrary 
might  be,  this  very  confidence  in  the  truth  he  maintained, 
enabled  him.  to  bide  God's  time,  and  to  wait  for  their 
recognition  and  acknowledgment  in  the  future.  Above 
all  men  whom  it  has  been  our  privilege  to  know,  Dr. 
Thornwell  possessed  a  sublime  faith  in  the  majesty  and 
power  of  truth ;  assured  that,  though  buried  for  a  time, 
it  will  rise  again,  and  assert  its  own  supremacy  in  the 
world.  Hence,  after  a  fair  effort  to  win  the  Church  over 
to  the  adoption  of  his  views,  if  defeated,  he  submitted, 
with  meekness  and  grace,  to  what  he  yet  sadly  deplored. 
He  did  not  surrender  his  own  convictions;  but  wisely 
abstained 'from  a  hurtful  and  useless  agitation,  until  the 
time  should  arrive  for  promulgating  them  anew.  Thus, 


STATE  EDUCATION.  327 

after  a  full  discussion  on  the  subject  of  Boards,  he  was 
silent  for  many  years,  until  it  was  brought  up  anew,  in 
the  Assembly  of  1860,  at  Rochester.  And  it  is  remark 
able,  that  the  last  great  debate  in  which  he  participated 
in  the  old  Assembly,  should  have  been  the  first  in  which 
he  fleshed  his  sword  after  the  disruption  in  1837.  The 
reader  will  have  occasion,  too,  to  see  that  one  of  the 
closing  acts  of  his  public  life,  was  to  ingraft  his  views  on 
this  question  upon  the  policy  of  the  Southern  Presby 
terian  Church,  in  her  first  General  Assembly,  in  1861. 
This,  then,  could  not  have  been  one  of  the  subjects  upon 
which  his  mind  had  changed.  In  regard  to  the  Elder 
ship,  this  question  went  down  so  completely  into  the  heart 
and  essence  of  the  Presbyterian  system,  that  no  one  who 
knew  the  man  could  believe  that  he  changed  his  views 
upon  it,  without  a  square  and  open  retraction  of  his  pre 
vious  error. 

Another  feature  of  Dr.  Thornwell's  character,  out  of 
which  this  suspicion  may  have  sprung,  was  his  passionate 
attachment  to  his  friends;  which  led  him  to  yield,  as  far 
as  was  possible  consistently  with  a  good  conscience,  active 
opposition  to  their  cherished  plans.  And  this  complai 
sance,  which  was  only  the  sign  of  a  gentle  and  loving 
nature,  may  have  been  construed,  at  times,  as  an  assent 
of  his  judgment. 

But  whatever  be  the  origin  of  the  charge,  we  have  not 
the  least  evidence  of  its  truth ;  and  upon  the  topic  now 
before  us,  the  writer  is  able  to  set  it  aside  by  his  personal 
testimony;  at  least,  if  Dr.  Thorn  well's  opinions  were  al 
tered  upon  the  relation  of  the  Church  to  secular  education, 
the  change  must  have  occurred  during  the  last  six  months 
of  his  life.  Dr.  Tliornwell  died  in  the  month  of  August, 
1862.  The  writer's  last  personal  intercourse  with  him 
was  in  December,  1861,  at  the  organization,  and  during 
the  sessions,  of  the  first  General  Assembly  of  the  South 
ern  Presbyterian  Church,  at  Augusta,  Georgia.  The  pro 
ject  of  establishing  a  great  University,  which  should  be 


328  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

common  to  Presbyterians  throughout  what  was  then 
known  as  "  the  Confederate  States,"  had  been  lying  in 
the  minds  of  some.  A  public  meeting  was  held,  entirely 
outside  of  and  distinct  from  the  Assembly,  to  discuss  the 
desirableness  and  feasibility  of  this  project.  This  meeting 
was  addressed  by  Dr.  Thornwell,  amongst  others,  in  ad 
vocacy  of  the  proposed  measure.  At  this  stage,  nothing 
was  under  discussion,  but  the  general  idea  of  an  institution 
which  should  be  worthy  of,  and  should  command,  Pres 
byterian  patronage  throughout  the  country.  The  details 
of  its  management  and  control  had  not  yet  been  reached, 
and,  through  the  pressure  of  the  civil  war,  then  in  pro 
gress,  were  never  reached.  In  private  conversation,  when 
solicited  by  the  writer  to  lend  his  countenance  and  assist 
ance  to  the  scheme,  Dr.  Thornwell  replied,  that  he  would 
do  so  cordially,  provided  it  were  not  made  a  Church  insti 
tution,  organized  and  controlled  by  the  Church,  through 
her  courts.  He  thought  a  University  might  be  created 
by  the  Presbyterian  people  of  the  land,  which  should  be 
penetrated  by  their  influence  and  piety,  without  contra 
vening  the  principle,  for  which  he  had  always  contended, 
that  the  Church,  as  such,  should  not  embark  in  the  busi 
ness  of  general  'education.  At  that  time  he  had  not  re 
siled  from  his  original  position  on  this  subject;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  he  explicitly  re-affirmed  it,  not  considering  the 
principle  on  which  it  was  based  as  open  to  any  question. 
Indeed,  his  opinions,  on  all  public  and  disputed  topics, 
were  formed  with  singular  caution,  and  were  never  pro 
nounced  without  antecedent  investigation.  They  were 
not  prejudices,  but  convictions;  and,  being  slowly  ma 
tured,  were  not  subject  to  fluctuation  and  change.  The 
reader  will  discover  marks  of  this  caution  in  the  letter 
that  follows,  written  as  early  as  1846,  to  his  friend,  Dr. 
R.  J.  Breckinridge : 

"My  mind  has  been  much  turned  of  late  to  the  subject  of  State 
schools  arid  State  colleges.  From  some  remarks  of  yours,  in  the  Gen 
eral  Assembly,  I  perceive  that  you  have  been  reflecting  upon  the  same 


STATE  EDUCATION.  329 

subject.  The  difficxilty  is,  to  introduce  into  them  the  principles  of  evan 
gelical  religion.  There  are  two  questions :  1.  Whether  it  is  the  busi 
ness  of  a  school  to  teach  religion ;  or  whether  that  duty  devolves  upon 
the  parent,  catechist,  or  pastor.  If  schools  are  merely  secular  institutions, 
intended  to  communicate  secular  knowledge,  the  problem  about  the  in 
troduction  of  religion  is  easily  solved.  2.  Supposing,  however,  that 
schools  have  a  higher  object,  the  formation  of  character,  as  well  as  the 
discipline  and  cultivation  of  mind,  religion  must  enter  as  an  element. 
But  by  what  authority  does  the  State  introduce  it  ?  Is  not  the  State  an 
institution  founded  essentially  upon  the  relations  of  justice  betwixt  man 
and  man  ?  No  doubt,  if  it  has  a  right  to  introduce  religion  at  all .  it  is 
bound  to  introduce  the  true  religion ;  but  the  opinions  of  the  magis 
trate  are  a  poor  security  for  the  permanent  introduction  of  an  evangelical 
faith.  My  mind,  however,  labours  on  the  question  of  right.  Keligion 
maybe  introduced  as  a  matter  of  science,  a  thing  that  ought  to  be  known; 
but  as  a  living  power,  a  system  of  Divine  grace,  what  has  the  State,  as 
such,  to  do  with  it?  I  know  that  you  have  reflected  much  on  these 
things,  and  I  should  like  to  have  your  matured  opinions.  The  com 
plexion  of  the  age  must  be  largely  determined  by  the  part  which  our 
Church  shall  take  in  regard  to  these  questions.  What  we  do,  should, 
therefore,  be  done  with  great  prudence,  deliberation,  and  caution.  My 
mind  has  rather  leaned  to  the  side  of  State  education,  biit  I  have  diffi 
culties.  Let  me  hear  from  you  soon ;  and  do  not  omit  to  say  distinctly, 
whether,  in  case  of  the  failure  of  your  health,  you  will  consent  to  become 
a  South  Carolinian.  The  Lord  bless  you  and  keep  you. 
"  Your  sincere  friend  and  brother, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

A  little  later,  his  scruples  appear  to  have  been  resolved, 
and  his  opposition  to  Church  schools  becomes  more  pro 
nounced  ;  as  will  be  seen  from  the  letter  below,  also  ad 
dressed  to  Dr.  Breckinridge : 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  February  24,  1849. 

"MY  DEAR  BROTHER:  One  good  turn  deserves  another.  Your  ar 
ticle,  in  the  last  number  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Review,  has  done 
us  so  much  credit,  that  I  am  constrained  to  apply  to  you  again.  There 
is  one  subject  particularly,  on  which  I  want  you  to  put  out  your  strength  ; 
and  now  is  the  time,  or  never.  That  subject  isj  the  System  of  Denomi 
national  Education,  which  the  Assembly  is  endeavouring  to  set  agoing. 
We  shall  have  a  disputation  from  Dr.  Smyth,  on  Parochial  Schools,  in 
our  next  issue.  I  objected  to  its  insertion ;  but  finally  consented,  upon 
condition  of  entering  a  protest  against  it.  But  the  ceaseless  declama 
tion  which  is  poured  upon  the  Church,  from  ah1  quarters,  will  have  its 
effect,  unless  some  competent  man  will  take  the  subject  up,  and  discuss 
it  on  its  merits.  Now,  you  are  the  man  to  do  it.  An  article  from  you 


330  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELI>. 

on  this  topic,  at  this  juncture,  will  be  read  with  profound  interest,  and 
will  do  great  good.  Your  studies  and  inquiries  have  recently  been  ex 
actly  of  the  character  which  fit  you  for  the  task ;  and  I  think  you  owe 
it  to  the  Church  to  give  her  the  matured  result  of  your  reflections  and 
experience,  when  so  many  are  dosing  her  with  speculations,  conjectiires, 
and  visionary  schemes.  I  sincerely  hope,  therefore,  that  you  will  not 
say  '  Nay'  to  this  request. 

' '  Have  you  seen  the  New  England  Puritan  f  It  evidently  winces 
under  your  article  in  our  last  number. 

"Brownson  has  at  last  fulfilled  his  promise,  to  review  my  book  on 
the  Apocrypha.  He  has  devoted  three  articles  to  my  benefit,  in  the 
April,  July,  and  October  numbers  of  his  Quarterly.  His  pieces  I  re 
gard  as  very  feeble  ;  but  am  not  resolved  in  my  own  mind  as  to  the  best 
course  to  be  pursued.  My  disposition  is  to  answer  him  ;  but  if  I  notice 
every  reviewer  who  may  take  me  in  hand,  I  may  make  business  enough 
for  myself  to  occupy  my  whole  time.  If  I  do  not  answer  him,  the 
Papists  may  crow,  and  pretend  that  they  have  gained  a  triumph.  It 
would,  no  doubt,  be  more  seemly  for  some  other  person  besides  myself 
to  take  up  Brownson.  But  I  know  of  no  one  who  can  do  it,  but  you ; 
and  it  is  a  task  which  I  could  not  expect  from  you,  in  the  midst  of  more 
important  and  pressing  engagements.  Then,  again,  any  reply  would 
be  addressed  to  readers,  for  the  most  part,  who  never  saw  or  read  the 
Review.  The  only  point  gained,  would  be  stopping  their  mouths,  who 
might  represent  silence  on  my  part  as  a  confession  of  defeat.  What  da 
you  think  I  ought  to  do  ? 

"  Our  College  is  quite  flourishing  as  to  numbers.  We  have  two  hun- 
and  thirty  students.  Preston's  name  has  been  a  word  to  conjure  with. 
The  institution  has  risen,  as  if  by  magic,  under  his  influence  and  exer 
tions.  But  I  am  very  much  afraid  the  charm  is  soon,  too  soon,  to  be 
broken.  He  has  been,  for  six  or  eight  weeks,  in  a  precarioiis  condition  ; 
and  his  physicians  seem  to  think  that,  if  he  ever  recovers  at  all,  it 
will  be  a  work  of  time,  and  of  great  care ;  and  the  utmost  he  can  re 
cover,  will  be  some  portion  of  his  physical  strength.  He  can  never, 
under  any  circumstances,  be  himself  again.  I  do  not  know  exactly  how 
to  describe  his  disease.  He  was  taken  first  with  influenza,  which  at  the 
time  was  prevailing  here  as  an  epfdeniic.  It  brought  him  to  a  state 
very  closely  approximating  paralysis.  His  brain  became  affected,  his 
mind  very  much  enfeebled,  and  his  speech  became  thick  and  indistinct, 
his  pulse  was  as  low  as  thirty  beats  a  minute.  His  tongue  was  as  black 
as  tar,  and  his  nervous  .system  seemed  to  be  exhausted.  He  was  kept 
up  by  strong  and  oft-repeated  stimulants.  As  soon  as  he  could  ride,  he 
went,  by  slow  stages,  to  Charleston,  where  he  is  at  present :  and  I  learn, 
from  a  letter  received  here  last  night,  that  the  physicians  there  think 
very  gloomily  of  his  case.  It  is  a  mournful  visitation  of  Providence ;  it 
has  caused  me  many  sad  reflections.  Learning,  genius,  and  eloquence 
are  feeble  things  to  depend  on.  Without  a  Saviour,  what  shadows  we 
are,  and  what  shadows  we  pursue.  I  trust  that  he  has  been  brought  to  feel 


STATE  EDUCATION.  331 

and  see  the  importance  of  an  interest  in  Christ.  His  mind,  I  know,  has 
been  very  seriously  turned  to  the  subject.  If  he  should  be  compelled  to 
leave  the  College,  I  shall  have  but  little  inducement  to  stay  here.  I  have 
endured  the  bondage  long  enough  already ;  and  if  the  society  be  taken 
from  me,  which  alone  has  rendered  it  tolerable,  I  shall  be  strongly 
tempted  to  seek  a  field  for  the  exercise  of  my  ministry,  less  exhausting, 
and  more  congenial  with  my  feelings. 

4 '  Let  me  hear  from  you  soon,  very  soon ;  and  be  sure  to  send  me  an 
article  on  Parochial  Schools,  or  Denominational  Education.  * 

"Very  sincerely,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  T." 

The  book  on  the  Apocrapha,  to  which  reference  is  made 
in  this  letter,  was  the  re-publication,  in  a  more  permanent 
form,  of  the  articles  written  in  the  controversy  with  Dr. 
Lynch,  of  Charleston.  The  volume  was  brought  out  in 
1845,  and  elicited  from  the  Edinburgh  Review  the  high 
eulogiiim  that  it  was  worthy  of  a  comparison  with  Chil- 
lingworth.  Dr.  Breckinridge's  reply  gave  the  promise  of 
a  review  of  Brownson's  attack  upon  it,  as  well  as  of  an 
article  on  Denominational  Education.  It  reads  thus: 

"LEXINGTON,  KY.,  March  16,  1849. 

"MY  DEAR  THORN  WELL:  Your  letter  of  24th  ult.  was  long  on  the 
way.  It  has  only  been  received  within  a  few  days.  I  will  endeavour  to 
comply  with  your  request  in  regard  to  the  article  on  Denominational 
Education.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  your  periodical  appears  this  month. 
If  you  prefer  the  matter  for  the  June  number,  and  will  let  me  know  the 
fact  by  immediate  reply — I  believe  I  had  better  promise  it  at  once,  lest, 
by  delay,  my  mind  pass  away  from  the  subject,  and  other  things  engross 
me.  At  any  rate,  I  believe  I  will  just  write  out  my  thoughts,  and  send 
them  to  you  at  once. 

"As  to  the  other  matter,  the  review  of  Brownson's  article  on  your 
work,  if  you  will  trust  that  matter  to  me,  I  will  undertake  it  with  plea 
sure.  But  you  must  do  several  things :  1.  Send  his  articles ;  I  have 
never  seen  them.  2.  Send  me,  from  your  pen,  such  matter,  the  more 
the  better,  as  you  would  like  worked  into  the  review  of  him.  3.  Send 
me  such  criticisms^  or  denials  of  his  quotations,  and  references*  to 
authority,  and  such  quotations  and  references  to  support  your  own,  as 
may  be  needful ;  for  my  own  library  is  still  in  boxes. 

"I  will  be  extremely  obliged,  if  you  will  send  by  some  one  to  the 
General  Assembly,  a  bundle  of  your  articles  on  the  Elder  and  Ordi 
nation  questions.  I  never  had  more  reason  to  thank  any  friend  than 
you,  for  those  articles,  on  every  account,  public  and  private. 


332  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

I  have  been  very  much  of  an  invalid  for  some  months  past,  and  in  a 
peculiar  and  very  distressing  way.  For  a  long  time  I  have  occasionally 
suffered  greatly,  after  preaching  too  much ;  but  how  or  why,  seemed 
uncertain ;  that  is,  everything  but  the  suffering  was  obscure.  For  many 
months  past,  the  malady  became  gradually  more  concentrated,  in  a  sort 
of  spasm  of  the  whole  contents  of  the  chest,  or  some  of  the  more  vital 
of  them,  after  violent  speaking ;  and  these  attacks,  increasing  in  fre 
quency  and  violence,  are  beginning  to  assume  a  very  serious  aspect. 
I  await  calmly  the  indications  of  Providence ;  in  the  meantime,  doing 
the  best  I  can,  and  confidently  committing  all  to  God.  May  God  bless 
and  keep  you,  is  the  prayer  of 

"Your  attached  friend, 

Ko.  J.  BRECKTNRIDGE." 

The  promised  contribution  to  the  Southern  Presbyte 
rian  Review,  on  the  subject  of  Church  schools,  was  duly 
made,  and  published  in  the  July  number  of  1849.  It  is 
thus  acknowledged: 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  May  18,  1849. 

"My  DEAR  BROTHER  :  Your  very  able  and  satisfactory  article  on  De 
nominational  Education  has  been  received,  and  will  appear  as  the 
leader,  in  our  next  number.  The  printer  has  tormented  us  very  much 
in  regard  to  our  last  number  ;  so  much  so  that  we  have  taken  the  work  out 
of  his  hands,  and  have  made  a  contract  with  another  man,  which,  we  think, 
will  insure  punctuality,  I  have  communicated  to  Preston  the  substance 
of  your  article ;  and  he  not  only  cordially  approves  of  it,  but  is  very 
much  gratified  that  such  views  are  about  to  be  printed.  He  takes  great 
interest  in  the  whole  subject ;  and  as  your  opinions  are  the  ones  enter 
tained  by  the  leading  men  of  this  State,  their  publication,  at  this  time, 
will  be  productive  of  much  good.  Such  discussions  as  those  which  we 
have  already  had,  can  settle  nothing.  They  either  prove  too  much,  and, 
therefore,  prove  nothing,  or  they  are  directed  to  a  wrong  point.  No 
one  doubts  the  importance  of  religion  as  an  element  in  education,  and 
no  one  doubts  that  the  Church  is  a  witness  to  God's  truth.  But  that 
her  commission  to  teach  the  gospel  includes  a  commission  to  teach  read 
ing,  writing,  and  ciphering,  is  not  so  plain.  In  other  words,  that  a  com 
mission  to  teach  one  thing  is  a  commission  to  teach  every  thing,  is,  to  say 
the  least  of  it,  not  self-evident.  And  yet,  this  is  about  the  substance  of 
the  arguments  of  Drs.  Junkin  and  Smyth.  It  never  seems  to  have 
struck  them,  that  their  method  of  reasoning  might  be  just  as  success 
fully  employed  to  divest  the  Church  of  all  power  of  rule,  as  it  has  been 
to  divest  the  State  of  all  right  to  teach.  They  say,  for  example,  that  a 
commission  granted  to  the  Church  to  teach  at  all,  includes  every  depart 
ment  of  instructioii,  and  excludes  the  State  from  any  participation. 
Upon  the  same  principle,  a  commission  to  the  State  to  rule  at  all, 


STATE  EDUCATION.  333 

includes  every  kind  of  government,  and  excludes  the  Church  from  the 
possession  of  any  kind  of  authority.  I  shall  append  to  our  next  num 
ber  a  critical  notice  of  Dr.  Junkin's  inaugural  oration,  which,  together 
with  your  article,  will  put  before  the  Churches  the  precise  position  of 
those  who  are  not  prepared  to  swallow  down  the  scheme  of  the  Board  of 
Education. 

"As  soon  as  I  can  procure  them,  I  shall  send  you  Brownson's  articles 
in  review  of  my  book  ;  and  then  leave  it  to  your  judgment  whether  they 
should  be  answered  or  not.  They  require  no  learning ;  it  is  simply  moral 
reasoning,  the  application  of  logic,  and  that  alone.  He  has  exposed  him 
self  to  serious  attacks  on  the  whole  subject  of  the  relation  of  Church  to 
State ;  and  to  expose  the  tendencies  of  Romanism  on  this  head,  has  been 
my  strongest  inducement  for  thinking  he  ought  to  be  noticed  at  all.  His 
articles,  in  my  judgment,  are  deplorably  feeble.  But  if  you  take  him  in 
hand,  he  will  furnish  you  a  text  for  disclosures  which,  if  our  country  will 
heed  them,  will  save  our  children  much  trouble. 

' '  I  sent  you,  by  our  commissioner,  one  hundred  copies  of  my  article  on 
the  Elder  question.  We  have  still  a  large  number,  which  we  would 
cheerfully  mail  to  any  addresses  you  might  recommend.  I  have  never 
had  a  firmer  confidence  in  the  ultimate  triumph  of  any  cause,  than  in 
the  final  success  of  the  doctrines  which  it  is  the  object  of  that  article  to 
maintain.  Even  Princeton  is  beginning  to  discover  that  a  Presbyter,  as 
#uch,  is  a  ruler. 

"Preston's  health  is  still  very  feeble.  The  Board  of  Trustees  have  given 
him  a  dispensation  from  all  his  duties  until  the  1st  October.  He  leaves 
early  next  week,  for  Glenn  Springs,  in  this  State,  and  will  spend  the 
time  in  travelling  about  from  place  to  place.  I  am  seriously  apprehensive 
that  he  never  will  be  himself  again.  The  only  hope  is  the  absolute  re 
laxation  which  he  has  resolved  to  try.  I  do  not  think  that  he  has  been 
made  aware  of  the  precise  opinion  of  his  physicians  in  regard  to  his 
case ;  but  Mrs.  Preston  informs  me,  that  they  have  given  her  very  little 
reason  to  hope  that  he  can  ever  be  restored.  Her  mind  is  greatly  dis 
tressed,  though  she  endeavours  to  conceal  her  anxiety  from  him.  Ho 
looks  well,  possesses  apparent  physical  vigour,  and,  for  a  short  time, 
enters  into  conversation  with  spirit ;  but  he  soon  becomes  utterly  ex 
hausted  in  mind  and  body.  His  whole  system  is  toneless.  It  is  a  painful 
spectacle  to  see  such  a  man  a  mere  wreck.  He  was  much  gratified  with 
your  letter.  I  have  been  strongly  and  tenderly  attached  to  him,  and 
have  done  all  in  my  power  to  soothe  and  comfort  him  in  this  deep  afflic 
tion. 

"I  cannot  close  this  letter  without  expressing  to  you  my  warmest 
thanks  for  the  promptness  with  which  you  have  offered  to  assist  roe  in 
the  case  of  Brownson.  Your  expressions  of  kindness  touched  me  very 
deeply  ;  and  I  had  rather  see  him  in  your  hands  than  the  hands  of  any 
other  man  in  the  Union.  His  articles  are  nothing  ;  but  the  subject  is 
important.  And  my  mind  is  so  utterly  undetermined  as  to  the  course 
that  ought  to  be  pursued,  that  I  must  leave  the  matter  entirely  to  you  ; 


334  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

pledging  myself,  if  a  general  war  should  ensue,  to  stand  by  you  to  the 
last.     May  God  bless  you  and  keep  you,  is  the  sincere  prayer  of 
"  Your  devoted  friend, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

The  reader  who  desires  to  peruse  at  length  Dr.  Thorn- 
well's  opinions  on  this  important  subject  of  education,  as 
controlled  by  the  Church,  will  find  them  presented  in  a 
published  letter  to  Governor  Manning,  of  South  Carolina, 
written  in  1853,  whilst  he  was  President  of  the  College. 
The  topic,  it  is  true,  is  only  incidentally  introduced,  as  a 
branch  of  the  general  argument  that  the  State  is  properly 
charged  with  the  higher  education  of  its  citizens,  and  to 
repel  the  assumption  that  religious  instruction  cannot  be 
adequately  conveyed  in  institutions  which  are  supported 
from  the  public  treasury.  This  elaborate  paper  will  be 
found  in  the  fifth  volume  of  his  "  Collected  Writings." 
But,  as  it  may  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  all  who  read  these 
pages,  and  since  this  subject  is  interwoven  with  his  whole 
personal  history,  we  append  a  few  extracts,  for  the  pur 
pose  of  defining  his  position  in  his  own  language : 

' '  The  true  and  only  question  is,  Does  education  belong  to  the  Church 
or  State  ?  Into  the  hands  of  one  or  the  other  it  must  fall,  or  perish. 
This,  too,  is  the  great  practical  question  among  us.  The  most  formid 
able  war  against  the  College  will  be  that  waged  on  the  principle  of  its 
existence.  I  respect  the  feeling  out  of  which  the  jealousy  of  State  in 
stitutions  has  grown.  A  godless  education  is  worse  than  none ;  and  I 
rejoice  that  the  sentiment  is  well  nigh  universal  in  this  country,  that  a 
system  which  excludes  the  highest  and  most  commanding,  the  eternal 
interests  of  man,  must  be  radically  defective,  whether  reference  be  had 
to  the  culture  of  the  individual,  or  to  his  prosperity  and  influence  in 
life.  Man  is  essentially  a  religious  being ;  and  to  make  110  provision 
for  this  noblest  element  of  his  nature,  to  ignore  and  preclude  it  from 
any  distinct  consideration,  is  to  leave  him  but  half  educated.  The  an 
cients  were  accustomed  to  regard  theology  as  the  first  philosophy ;  and 
there  is  not  a  people  under  the  sun  whose  religion  has  not  been  the  chief 
inspiration  of  their  literature.  Take  away  the  influence  which  this  sub 
ject  has  exerted  upon  the  human  mind,  destroy  its  contributions  to  the 
cause  of  letters,  the  impulse  it  has  given  to  the  speculations  of  philoso 
phy, — and  what  will  be  left,  after  these  subtractions,  will  be  compara 
tively  small  in  quantity,  and  feeble  in  life  and  spirit.  We  must  have 


STATK    K1HVATIOX.  :'.:'•.") 

religion,  if  wo  would  reach  the  highest  forms  of  education.  This  is  the 
atmosphere  which  must  surround  the  mind  and  permeate  all  its  ac 
tivities,  in  order  that  its  development  may  be  free,  healthful,  and  vigor 
ous.  Science  languishes,  letters  pine,  refinement  is  lost,  wherever  and 
whenever  the  genius  of  religion  is  excluded.  Experience  has  demon 
strated  that,  in  some  form  or  other,  it  must  enter  into  every  College, 
and  pervade  every  department  of  instruction.  No  institution  has  been 
able  to  live  without  it.  But  what  right,  it  is  asked,  has  the  State  to 
introduce  it  ?  What  right,  we  might  ask  in  return,  has  the  State  to  ex 
clude  it  ?  The  difficulty  lies  in  confounding  the  dogmatic  peculiarities 
of  sects  with  the  spirit  of  religion.  The  State,  as  such,  knows  nothing 
of  sects,  but  to  protect  them ;  but  it  does  not  follow  that  the  State  must 
be  necessarily  godless.  And  so  a  College  knows  nothing  of  denomi 
nations,  except  as  a  feature  in  the  history  of  the  human  race  ;  but  it  does 
not  follow  that  a  College  must  be  necessarily  atheistic  or  unchristian. 
What  is  wanted  is  the  pervading  influence  of  religion  as  a  life ;  the 
habitual  sense  of  responsibility  to  God,  and  of  the  true  worth  and  des 
tiny  of  the  soul;  which  shall  give  tone  to  the  character,  and  regulate  all 
the  pursuits  of  the  place.  The  example,  temper,  and  habitual  deport 
ment  of  the  teachers,  co-operating  with  the  dogmatic  instructions  which 
have  been  received  at  the  fireside  and  in  the  church,  and  coupled  with 
the  obligatory  observance  (except  in  cases  of  conscientious  scruple)  of 
the  peculiar  duties  of  the  Lord's  day,  will  be  found  to  do  more  in  main 
taining  the  power  of  religion,  than  the  constant  recitation  of  the  Cate 
chism,  or  the  ceaseless  inculcation  of  sectarian  peculiarities.  The  diffi 
culty  of  introducing  religion  is,  indeed,  rather  speculative  than  practical. 
When  we  propose  to  teach  religion  as  a  science,  and  undertake,  by  pre 
cise  boundaries  and  exact  statutory  provisions,  to  define  what  shall,  and 
what  shall  not,  be  taught ;  when,  by  written  schemes,  we  endeavour  to 
avoid  all  the  peculiarities  of  sect,  without  sacrificing  the  essential  in 
terests  of  religion ;  the  task  is  impossible.  The  residuum,  after  our 
nice  distinctions,  is  zero.  But  why  introduce  religion  as  a  science  f  Let 
it  come  in  the  character  of  the  Professors ;  let  it  come  in  the  stated 
worship  of  the  sanctuary ;  and  let  it  come  in  the  vindication  of  those 
immortal  records  which  constitute  the  basis  of  our  faith. 

"Leave  Creeds  and  Confessions  to  the  fireside  and  the  church,  the 
home  and  the  pulpit.  Have  godly  teachers,  and  you  will  have  compara 
tively  a  godly  College.  But  what  security  have  we  that  a  State  College 
will  pay  any  attention  to  the  religious  character  of  its  teachers  ?  The 
security  of  public  opinion,  which,  in  proportion  as  the  various  religious 
denominations  do  their  duty  in  their  own  spheres,  will  become  alsolutely 
irresistible.  Let  all  the  sects  combine  to  support  the  State  College,  and 
they  can  soon  create  a  sentiment  which,  with  the  terrible  certainty  of 
fate,  shall  tolerate  nothing  unholy  or  unclean  within  its  walls.  They 
can  make  it  religious,  without  being  sectarian.  The  time  power  of  the 
Church  over  these  institutions  is  not  that  of  direct  work  upon  the  hearts 
and  consciences  of  all  the  members  of  the  community.  Is  it  alleged 


336  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

that  experience  presents  us  with  mournful  examples  of  State  institutions- 
degenerating  into  hot-beds  of  atheism  and  impiety  ?  It  may  be  promptly 
replied,  that  the  same  experience  presents  us  with  equally  mournful  ex 
amples  of  Church  institutions  degenerating  into  hot-beds  of  the  vilest 
heresy  and  infidelity.  And,  what  is  more  to  the  point,  a  sound  public 
opinion  has  never  failed  to  bring  these  State  institutions  back  to  their 
proper  moorings,  while  the  Church  institutions  have  not  unfrequently 
carried  their  sects  with  them,  and  rendered  reform  impossible.  In  the 
case  of  State  institutions,  the  security  for  religion  lies  in  the  public 
opinion  of  the  whole  community ;  in  the  case  of  Church  institutions, 
in  the  public  opinion  of  a  single  denomination.  And  as  the  smaller 
body  can  more  easily  become  corrupt  than  a  larger ;  as  there  is  a  con 
stant  play  of  antagonism,  which  preserves  the  health,  in  the  one  case, 
while  they  are  wanting  in  the  other ;  it  seems  clear,  that  a  State  College, 
upon  the  whole,  and  in  the  long  run,  must  be  safer  than  any  sectarian 
institution.  As  long  as  people  preserve  their  respect  for  religion,  the 
College  can  be  kept  free  from  danger. 

' '  The  principle,  too,  on  which  the  argument  for  Church  supervision 
is  founded,  proves  too  much.  It  is  assumed  that,  wherever  a  religious 
influence  becomes  a  matter 'of  primary  importance,  there  the  Church  has 
legitimate  jurisdiction.  'This,'  it  has  been  well  said,  'puts  an  end  to 
society  itself,  and  makes  the  Church  the  only  power  that  can  exist ;  since 
all  that  is  necessary  is,  for  any  officer,  or  any  power,  to  be  capable  of 
moral  effects  or  influences,  in  order  to  put  it  under  the  dominion  of  the 
Church.  The  moral  influence  of  governors,  judges,  presidents — nay, 
even  sheriffs,  coroners,  or  constables — is  as  real,  and  may  be  far  more 
extensive,  than  that  of  schoolmasters.  The  moral  influence  of  wealth  is 
immense  ;  that  of  domestic  habits,  nay,  even  personal  habits,  often  de 
cisive.'*  The  truth  is,  this  species  of  argument  would  reduce  every 
interest  under  the  sun  to  the  control  of  the  Church.  It  is  just  the  prin 
ciple  on  which  the  authority  of  the  Pope  over  kings  and  states  has  been 
assumed  and  defended.  The  argument,  moreover,  is  one  which  can  very 
easily  be  retorted.  If,  because  education  has  a  religious  element,  it  must 
fall  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Church  ;  a  fortiori,  because  it  has  mul 
tiplied  secular  elements,  it  must  fall  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State. 
The  Church  is  a  distinct  corporation,  with  distinct  rights  and  authority. 
She  has  direct  control  over  nothing  that  is  not  spiritual  in  its  matter,  and 
connected  with  our  relations  to  Jesus  Christ.  She  is  His  kingdom  ;  and 
her  functions  are  limited  to  His  work,  as  the  Mediator  of  the  Covenant, 
and  the  Saviour  of  the  lost.  And  if  education,  in  its  secular  aspects,  «is 
not  a  function  of  grace,  but  nature ;  if  it  belongs  to  man,  not  as  a  Chris 
tian,  but  simply  as  a  man ;  then  it  no  more  falls  within  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  Church  than  any  other  secular  work.  *  *  *  * 

"Apart  from  the  principle  involved,  I  have  other  objections  to  sec- 


Dr.  Breckinridge,  in  Southern  Presbyterian  Review,  vol.  3,  p.  6. 


bTATE  EDUCATION.  337 

tarian  education.  I  say,  sectarian  education ;  for  the  Church,  as  catholic 
and  one,  in  the  present  condition  of  things,  is  not  visible  and  corporate. 
What  she  does,  can  only  be  done  through  the  agency  of  one  or  more  of 
the  various  fragments  into'which  she  has  been  suffered  to  split.  In  the 
first  place,  it  is  evident,  from  the  feebleness  of  the  sects,  that  these  col 
leges  cannot  be  very  largely  endowed.  In  the  next  place,  they  are  likely 
to  be  numerous.  From  these  causes  will  result  a  strenuous  competition 
for  patronage ;  and,  from  this,  two  effects  may  be  expected  to  follow : 
first,  the  depression  of  the  general  standard  of  education,  so  as  to  allure 
students  to  their  halls  ;  and  next,  the  preference  of  what  is  ostentatious 
and  attractive  in  education,  to  what  is  solid  and  substantial.  It  is  true, 
that  there  can  be  no  lofty  flight,  as  Bacon  has  suggested,  '  without  some 
feathers  of  ostentation ; '  but  it  is  equally  true,  that  there  can  be  no 
flight  at  all,  where  there  are  not  bone,  muscle,  and  sinew,  to  sustain  the 
feathers. 

"  It  is  also  a  serious  evil  that  the  State  should  be  habitually  denounced 
as  profane  and  infidel.  To  think  and  speak  of  it  in  that  light,  is  the  sure 
way  to  make  it  so  ;  and  yet  this  is  the  uniform  representation  of  the  advo 
cates  of  Church  education.  They  will  not  permit  the  State  to  touch  the  sub 
ject,  because  its  fingers  are  unclean.  Can  there  be  a  more  certain  method 
to  uproot  the  sentiments  of  patriotism,  and  to  make  us  feel  that  the  gov 
ernment  of  the  country  is  an  enormous  evil,  to  which  we  are  to  submit, 
not  out  of  love,  but  for  conscience  sake  ?  Will  not  something  like  this 
be  the  inevitable  effect  of  the  declamation  and  invective,  which  bigots 
and  zealots  feel  authorized  to  vent  against  the  Commonwealth  that  pro 
tects  them,  in  order  that  they  may  succeed  in  their  narrow  schemes? 
Instead  of  clinging  around  the  State,  as  they  woiild  cling  to  the  bosom 
of  a  beloved  parent,  and  concentrating  upon  her  the  highest  and  holiest 
influences  which  they  are  capable  of  exerting ;  instead  of  teaching  their 
children  to  love  her,  as  the  ordinance  of  God  for  good,  to  bless  her  for 
her  manifold  benefits,  and  to  obey  her  with  even  a  religious  veneration  ; 
they  repel  her  to  a  cold  and  cheerless  distance,  and  brand  her  with  the 
stigma  of  Divine  reprobation.  The  result  must  be  bad.  "  The  fanaticism 
which  despises  the  State,  and  the  infidelity  which  contemns  the  Church, 
are  both  alike  the  product  of  ignorance  and  folly.  God  has  established 
both  the  State  and  the  Church.  It  is  as  clearly  our  duty  to  be  loyal  and 
enlightened  citizens,  as  to  be  faithful  and  earnest  Christians." 

I  think,  too,  that  the  tendency  of  sectarian  Colleges,  to  perpetuate  the 
strife  of  sects,  to  fix  whatever  is  heterogeneous  in  the  elements  of  na 
tional  character,  and  to  alienate  the  citizens  from  each  other,  is  a  con 
sideration  not  to  be  overlooked.  There  ought  surely  to  be  some  common 
ground  on  which  the  members  of  the  same  State  may  meet  together,  and 
feel  that  they  are  brethren  ;  some  common  ground  on  which  their  chil 
dren  may  mingle  without  confusion  or  discord,  and  bury  every  narrow 
and  selfish  interest  in  the  sublime  sentiment,  that  they  belong  to  the 
same  family.  Nothing  is  so  powerful  as  a  common  education,  and  the 
thousand  sweet  associations  which  spring  from  it,  and  cluster  around  it, 


338  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

to  cherish  the  holy  brotherhood  of  men.  Those  who  have  walked 
together  in  the  same  paths  of  science,  and  taken  sweet  counsel  in  the 
same  halls  of  learning  ;  who  went  arm  in  arm  in  that  hallowed  season  of 
life  when  the  foundations  of  all  excellence  are  laid ;  wno  have  wept  with 
the  same  sorrows,  or  laughed  with  the  same  joys  ;  who  have  been  fired 
with  the  same  ambition,  lured  with  the  same  hopes,  and  grieved  at  the 
same  disappointments :  these  are  not  the  men,  in  after  years,  to  stir  up 
animosities  or  foment  intestine  feuds.  Their  college  life  is  a  bond  of 
union  which  nothing  can  break ;  a  divine  poetry  of  existence,  which 
nothing  is  allowed  to  profane.  *  *  *  *  All  these  advantages  must 
be  lost' if  the  sectarian  scheme  prevails.  South  Carolina  will  no  longer 
be  a  unit,  nor  her  citizens  brothers.  We  shall  have  sect  against  sect, 
school  against  school,  and  college  against  college ;  and  he  knows  but 
little  of  the  past,  who  has  not  observed,  that  the  most  formidable  dangers 
to  any  State  are  those  which  spring  from  division  in  its  own  bosom, 
and  that  these  divisions  are  terrible  in  proportion  to  the  degree  in  which 
the  religious  element  enters  into  them." 


CHAPTER    XXIY. 

CALL  TO  CHARLESTON. 

OCCASIONAL  DISSATISFACTION  WITH  ACADEMIC  LIFE. — CAUSES  OF  IT. — 
RURAL  PURSUITS  IN  VACATION. — His  FARM.— CARE  OF  His  SLAVES. — 
PRIVATE  CORRESPONDENCE.— CALL  TO  CHURCH  IN  CHARLESTON,  SOUTH 
CAROLINA. — RESIGNATION  OF  His  PROFESSORSHIP. — RELEASE  FROM  THE 
COLLEGE. — REMOVAL  TO  CHARLESTON. — BRIEF  LABOURS  IN  THAT  CITY. — 
CORRESPONDENCE. — ELECTED  TO  PRESIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE. — MEN 
TAL  CONFLICT. — ACTION  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

rpHROUGH  the  whole  period  of  his  connection  with 
JL  the  College,  there  were  seasons  of  restlessness,  when 
Dr.  Thornwell  seemed  to  chafe  under  the  restrictions  of 
his  position,  and  to  sigh  for  other  fields  of  labour.  Those, 
however,  mistook  the  case,  who  assigned  this  to  fickle 
ness  and  love  of  change.  Perhaps  none  but  ministers  of 
the  gospel  can  fully  appreciate  the  conflicts  which  earnest 
and  faithful  men  of  their  class  often  experience.  No  one 
is  able  to  stand  outside  of  himself  sufficiently  to  estimate 
the  efficiency  of  his  own  labours.  He  is  conscious  of  the 
force  that  goes  out  from  him,  but  he  is  not  able  to  mea 
sure  fully  its  influence  upon  others.  There  often  appears 
to  be  a  vast  disproportion  between  the  amount  of  the 
toil,  and  the  result  that  accrues ;  the  disproportion  is 
greater  still  between  the  desires  which  are  cherished,  and 
the  fruit  that  is  actually  gathered.  Moments  of  deep 
dejection  occur  to  all,  when  they  are  prompted  to  adopt 
the  remonstrance  of  the  ancient  prophet:  "O  Lord, 
Thou  hast  deceived  me,  and  I  was  deceived ;  then  I  said, 
I  will  not  make  mention  of  Him,  nor  speak  any  more  in 
His  name."  But  it  always  ends  as  it  did  with  the  faithful 
Jeremiah :  "  His  word  was  in  my  heart  as  a  burning  fire 
shut  up  in  my  bones,  and  I  was  weary  with  forbearing, 

339 


34:0  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

and  I  could  not  stay."  Such  seasons  of  gloom,  it  could 
not  be  supposed  Dr.  Thornwell  would  wholly  escape ; 
and  whilst  all  about  him,  in  the  Church  and  in  the  State, 
recognized  his  work  as  grand  and  blessed  beyond  what 
common  men  could  hope  to  achieve,  it  was  not  strange 
if  he  sometimes  sighed  over  opportunities  that  seemed  to 
be  slipping  away  without  fruit.  Of  course,  this  was  only 
occasional.  In  the  main,  he  was  cheered  by  the  assurance, 
that  he  had  been  made  the  instrument  of  working  a  stu 
pendous  change  in  the  religious  sentiment  of  the  College, 
and,  indeed,  of  the  State,  in  the  complete  overthrow  of 
that  blatant  infidelity,  which  previously  had  seated  itself 
upon  the  high  places  of  intelligence  and  power.  He  was, 
too,  not  without  precious  seals  of  his  ministry  in  the  con 
version  of  sinners,  who  broke  down  under  the  majesty  of 
his  appeals,  and  were  led  by  him  to  the  feet  of  the  Saviour. 
But  it  was  not  possible  for  him  to  know  what  multitudes 
he  established  in  the  faith  of  the  gospel;  nor  in  how 
many  young  hearts  he  planted  "  the  incorruptible  seed," 
which,  though  it  lay  dormant  for  a  time,  sprang  up  in 
after  years,  and  bore  rich  fruit  to  the  glory  of  God. 

Another  cause  contributed  to  this  occasional  dissatis 
faction  with  the  College.'  Dr.  Thornwell,  notwithstand 
ing  his  early  preference  for  scholastic  life,  which  his 
intellectual  tastes  fitted  him  pre-eminently  to  enjoy,  was 
constituted  for  action  rather  than  repose.  He  possessed 
that  peculiar  power  of  magnetizing  those  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact,  which  is  the  first  quality  in  a  great  leader. 
His  convictions  were  too  intense  to  be  locked  up  in  his 
own  breast ;  they  must  have  expression,!  or  he  must  die. 
He  could  not  be  a  man  given  to  speculation  merely.  His 
beliefs  wrought  themselves  into  his  whole  being,  and  were, 
almost  without  a  figure,  as  a  burning  fire  shut  up  in  his 
bones.  He  could  not  but  be  conscious,  also,  of  his  im 
mense  power  ift  speech  to  sway  the  passions,  and  control 
the  actions  of  men.  The  instinct  of  the  orator  was  in 
him,  always  craving  an  audience ;  a  theatre  upon  which 


CALL  TO  CHARLESTON.  341 

its  practical  efficiency  may  be  displayed.  He  craved  an 
audience,  not  of  youth  just  crystalizing  in  their  character, 
and  shut  in,  like  himself,  to  speculation  and  theory ;  but 
an  audience  of  men  in  the  sap  and  vigour  of  life,  plunged 
into  all  the  activities  of  the  world's  great  battle,  whom 
he  might  stir  to  deeds  of  renown  in  the  kingdom  of  his 
Master.  A  temperament  so  ardent,  inspired  with  all  that 
is  lofty  in  truth,  and  conscious  of  a  living  energy  which 
can  impress  itself  upon  others,  could  not  always  be 
resigned, 

" Through  the  loop-holes  of  retreat 


To  peep  at  such  a  world,  and  see  the  stir 
Of  the  great  Babel,  and  not  feel  the  crowd." 

Traces  of  this  will  be  discovered  in  the  correspondence 
of  this  period,  and  in  a  temporary  withdrawal  from  the 
College,  which  continued,  however,  only  for  a  few  months. 
The  first  two  letters  are  addressed  to  Professor  Matthew 
J.  Williams: 

"DRYBURGH  ABBEY,  July  17,  1850. 

"  MY  DEAR  MAJOR  :  You  will  perceive  that  I  am  now  fairly  rusticated. 
We  reached  Lancaster  Courthouse  the  day  after  we  left  Columbia,  spent 
the  Fourth  of  July  in  the  village,  and  on  the  Monday  following  we  came 
out  to  our  plantation,  where  we  have  been  settled  ever  since.  The 
change  is  prodigious,  from  the  intense  heat  of  Columbia  by  day,  and 
its  musquitoes  by  night,  to  the  refreshing  breezes  and  invigorating  at 
mosphere  of  the  up-country.  My  wife  is  delighted ;  and  unless  she 
should  become  tired  before  the  summer  is  out,  it  will  be  hard  to  get 
her  back  to  the  College  campus.  There  is  one  consideration,  however, 
which,  in  our  circumstances,  will  not  be  without  force.  The  prospect 
here  of  making  any  available  amount  of  the  ' ready,1  is  very  slim. 
Drought,  drought,  drought,  is  all  the  cry.  The  corn  is  stunted  and 
withering ;  and  a  few  more  dry,  windy  days,  will  make  the  likelihood 
of  making  bread  very  slender.  There  is  no  chance  of  reaping  twenty- 
five  hundred  dollars  from  these  red  hills.  With  seven  children  to  edu 
cate,  and  a  host  of  backs  to  cover,  we  need  some  other  dependence  than 
Dryburgh  Abbey  affords  us.  So  we  shall  be  constrained,  with  as  good 
a  grace  as  possible,  to  go  back  to  Columbia.  But  the  situation  here  is 
delightful.  Our  residence  is  on  a  high  hill,  in  a  deeply  shaded  grove, 
and  commands  a  rich  and  extensive  prospect  on  all  sides.  We  are  never 
without  a  breeze,  and  the  sound  of  a  musquito  is  never  heard.  I  enjoy 
the  change  very  much  for  the  present ;  and  if  I  were  to  consult  my 


34:2  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOBNWELL. 

feelings,  instead  of  yielding  to  my  convictions  of  duty,  I  should  be 
tempted  to  settle  down  in  rural  life. 

"I  suppose  you  have  seen  the  account  of  the  death  of  the  President 
of  the  United  States.*  What  it  means,  it  is  difficult  to  conjecture.  But 
it  seems  God  is  giving  us  warning  after  warning,  line  upon  line,  and 
precept  upon  precept.  Every  good  man  should  be  found  constantly 
wrestling  at  the  throne  of  grace  for  our  bleeding  and  distracted  country. 
I  am  satisfied  that  nothing  but  repentance  on  our  part,  and  wonderful 
mercy  on  the  part  of  God,  can  save  us  from  the  just  consequences  of  our 
national  sins.  We  have  forgotten  God,  and  have  been  sacrificing  to 
our  own  drag  ;  and  unless  His  rebukes  should  bring  us  to  acknowledge 
Him,  we  may  be  left  to  '  eat  the  fruit  of  our  own  ways,  and  to  be  filled 
with  our  own  devices.'  The  subject  is  constantly  in  my. thoughts  and 
in  my  prayers ;  and  there  is  nothing  that  I  would  not  cheerfully  do,  or 
suffer,  to  promote  the  peace  of  our  beloved  country.  I  have  hope  that 
God  does  not  mean  to  destroy ;  that  His  purpose  is  to  inflict  judgment 
after  judgment,  until  His  chastisements  shall  have  been  effectual ;  and 
then  He  will  return,  and  have  mercy  on  us.  If  He  meant  to  root  us  up 
and  destroy  us,  He  would  probably  withhold  the  rod,  saying,  '  Ephraim 
is  joined  to  his  idols  ;  let  him  alone.' 

"I  am  engaged  in  preaching  every  Sunday.  We  have  several  big 
meetings  projected  here,  in  which  I  am  to  take  part.  It  is  an  omen  of 
good,  that,  in  several  places  in  the  State,  the  Lord  has  visited  His  peo 
ple.  I  sincerely  trust  that  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  may  be  uni 
versal.  Write  to  me  soon.  Next  to  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you,  is  that 
of  hearing  from  you. 

"  Most  truly  yours, 

J.  H.  THOENWELL." 

In  explanation  of  the  foregoing  letter,  it  is  proper  to 
say  that  Dr.  Thorn  well  acquired,  by  marriage,  a  small 
estate  in  Lancaster  District,  to  which  he  was  accustomed 
to  repair  with  his  family  during  the  vacation  in  the  Col 
lege.  To  this  place  he  appears  to  have  transferred  the 
name  of  one  of  the  most  romantic  spots  which  he  visited 
while  in  Europe;  and  of  which,  in  one  of  the  letters  we 
have  already  transcribed,  he  speaks  in  terms  of  great  enthu 
siasm.  His  interest  in  the  spot  is  marked  in  naming  his  cozy 
retreat  "Dryburgh  Abbey."  His  plantation  was  never 
of  much  pecuniary  benefit  to  him.  He  was  an  easy  and 
indulgent  master ;  and  it  is  doubtful  if  his  slaves  made 

*  General  Zachary  Taylor,  the  twelfth  President  of  the  United  States, 
died  in  Washington,  D.  G.,  on  the  9th  of  July,  1850. 


CALL  TO  CHARLESTON.  343 

their  own  support;  certainly,  they  never  accomplished 
much  more ;  and  were  often  a  tax  upon  him,  rather  than 
a  source  of  revenue.  He  was  exceedingly  conscientious 
in  securing  to  them  every  religious  privilege,  and  con 
tributed  regularly  to  a  minister,  who  made  it  a  part  of 
his  duty  to  visit  the  place,  to  catechize  and  to  preach. 
Arrangements  of  this  kind  were  common  throughout  the 
Southern  country,  under  the  old  regime,  which  has  now 
passed  away.  Besides  being  at  perfect  liberty  to  attend 
the  sanctuary  on  the  Sabbath,  the  gospel  was  brought  to 
the  slave  at  his  own  door,  by  the  special  labours  of  min 
isters,  who  performed  the  duty  with  constancy,  and  by 
system.  When  present  at  the  place,  Dr.  Thornwell  was 
assiduous  in  the  same  work,  as  a  catechist  and  preacher. 

"DKYBURGH  ABBEY,  August  26,  1850. 

"My  DEAR  MA  JOB:  Your  delightful  letter  has  been  lying  by  me  for 
two  weeks  unanswered.  Although  my  heart  has  prompted  me  every  day 
to  subdue  my  reluctance  to  take  the  pen,  every  day  I  have  succeeded  in 
flattering  myself  that  it  would  be  easier  to  write  to-morrow.  The  truth 
is,  I  have  been  attending  several  protracted  meetings,  and  have  returned 
from  each  pretty  throughly  broken  down.  My  labours,  at  the  first,  left 
me  in  a  state  of  prostration  from  which  I  apprehended  serious  results ; 
but,  through  the  mercy  of  God,  my  system  has  recovered  its  usual  tone. 
For  two  days  I  was  occasionally  spitting  blood ;  my  chest  was  very  sore, 
and  my  voice  very  feeble.  But  I  have  not  only  recovered  my  health,  but 
have  received  gratifying  tokens  that  the  labours  which  exhausted  me 
have  been  a  blessing  to  others.  One  can  afford  to  be  broken  down,  when 
his  decay  is  the  life  of  others. 

"My  family  has  enjoyed  usual  health,  and  my  wife  and  children  are 
delighted  with  the  freedom  of  a  country  life.  We  have  had  fruit  and 
melons  in  abundance,  and  ample  space  to  expand  our  limbs  and  lungs. 
Our  friends  have  been  very  kind ;  and,  in  the  plenitude  of  their  charity, 
they  have  never  permitted  us  to  be  wanting  in  either  good  cheer  or  good 
company.  We  look  with  reluctance  to  the  period — alas !  too  rapidly  ap 
proaching — when  we  must  go  back  to  the  walls  of  our  prison.  College 
is  to  me  like  a  dungeon  ;  and  I  go  to  its  duties  like  a  slave  whipped  to 
his  burden.  Nothing  keeps  me  there  but  the  fact  that  God's  providence 
has  put  me  there,  and  I  am  afraid  to  leave  without  some  marked  inti 
mation  of  the  Divine  will.  Perhaps  a  day  of  greater  usefulness  may 
come  ;  or  perhaps  the  Almighty  may  open  a  way  for  ray  escape.  But  I 
have  so  often  expressed  to  you  my  feelings  upon  this  subject,  that  it  is 
useless  to  say  more  upon  it  now. 


34:4  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

"  The  article  upon  Morell  *  which  you  sent  me,  follows  very  closely  in 
the  wake  of  the  article  in  the  North  BritisJi  Review,  upon  the  same  sub 
ject.  The  discriminations  were  just ;  and  I  suppose  the  Advocate  copied 
the  piece  as  some  atonement  for  its  own  extravagant  panegyric  of  the 
book  when  it  first  appeared.  I  am  sorry  to  see,  however,  that  rationalism 
is  making  such  progress  in  this  country ;  and,  if  God  spares  my  life,  I 
Intend  to  deal  some  harder  blows  than  I  have  yet  done.  It  is  in 
sidious  and  deceitful,  and  is  specially  suited  to  captivate  the  young  and 
vain.  The  man  who  has  pondered,  and  is  prepared  to  answer  aright,  the 
question,  What  can  we  know  f  is  the  only  man  who  is  competently  fur 
nished  against  the  temptations  of  this  seductive  and  shallow  philosophy. 
He  sees  precisely  where  it  stumbles.  That  all  knowledge  begins  with 
the  incomprehensible,  and  is  bounded  by  the  incomprehensible,  is  a 
truth  which  the  arrogant  disputers  of  this  world  are  slow  to  apprehend. 
The  longer  I  live,  and  the  more  I  think,  the  more  profound  is  my  con 
viction  of  human  ignorance.  I  can  say,  too,  that  I  have  a  growing  at 
tachment  to  the  great  truths  of  Christianity.  I  feel  that  I  am  rooted  and 
grounded  in  the  gospel ;  that  its  doctrines  are  incorporated  into  my 
whole  life,  and  are  the  necessary  food  of  my  soul.  I  have  looked  at  the 
matter  on  all  sides ;  and  I  can  say,  from  the  heart,  th*£  I  desire  to  glory 
in  nothing  but  the  cross  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  distinction  of 
being  a  Christian  is  the  highest  honour  I  would  court ;  and  the  shallow 
metaphysics  that  would  take  from  me  the  promises  of  God's  Word,  I  do 
most  heartily  despise. 

"  Upon  the  subject  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures  and  the  autho 
rity  of  the  Bible,  we  shall  have  some  desperate  battles  to  fight  with  false 
brethren,  before  the  enemy  is  subdued.  The  world  will  be  on  their  side. 
They  will  make  the  impression  that  they  are  very  learned  and  very  pro 
found  ;  and  that  their  opponents  are  equally  ignorant  and  shallow,  mis 
taking  the  spirit  of  bigotry  for  the  spirit  of  religion.  Keproaches  of  this 
sort,  which  will  turn  the  multitude  against  us,  we  must  bear  patiently. 
They  are  part  of  the  cross  Which  attaches  to  discipleship  in  our  day. 

"  I  was  much  gratified  that  you  approved  my  article  on  slavery.  No 
one  besides  has  expressed  to  me  an  opinion  upon  it,  and  I  have  seen 
hardly  a  notice  of  it  in  any  of  the  papers.  *  *  *  In  regard  to  the 
article  on  the  Bible  Society,  it  strikes  me  that  the  question  there  dis 
cussed  involves  a  matter  of  no  little  moment.  Is  the  Bible  Society  a 
religious  institution,  or  is  it  only  a  secular  corporation  ?  If  it  be  a  reli 
gious  institution,  upon  what  principle  is  prayer  excluded?  How  can 
persons  be  united  in  religious  duties,  when  they  do  not  worship  the 
same  God  ?  The  Socinian  and  Trinitarian  cannot  pray  together ;  they 
cannot  be  members  of  the  same  church ;  how,  then,  can  they  unite  in 
any  other  religious  institution  ?  If  the  Society  is  only  a  secular  corpo 
ration,  then  it  is  only  a  contrivance  to  get  up  a  cheap  book  store ;  and 

*  The  Philosopy  of  Eeligion.  By  J.  D.  Morell,  A.  M. ,  author  of  "  The 
History  of  Modern  Philosophy." 


CALL  TO  (  HAKI.KSTON.  3-i5 

•every  variety  of  motive  may  animate  its  members.  The  principle  of  these 
national  societies  never  has  been  clear  to  my  mind.  Their  platforms,  so 
broad  as  to  admit  everybody  that  will  contribute,  no  matter  who  or  from 
what  motive,  I  have  never  been  able  to  understand.  At  least,  the  sub 
ject  is  not  free  from  embarrassment.  I  never  read  the  article  in  the 
Review  until  after  its  appearance ;  but  I  thought  it  calculated  to  awaken 
inquiry. 

"I  have  long  been  anxious  that  you  should  write  something  for  us 
connected  with  your  favourite  pursuit.  It  is  a  duty  to  employ  our 
talents  for  God's  glory,  and  the  good  of  our  fellow  men  ;  and  as  the  Al 
mighty  has  furnished  you  with  eminent  gifts  in  regard  to  a  particular 
department  of  human  knowledge,  you  should  not  conceal  your  light 
under  a  bushel.  There  are  many  subjects  which  you  might  discuss,  and 
which  I  know  you  can  discuss  with  signal  ability ;  and  you  know  not 
what  good  you  might  do. 

"  The  time  is  rolling  on  when  we  must  put  on  the  harness  once  more. 
One  consideiation  relieves  the  gloominess  of  the  prospect:  it  is  that  I 
shall  meet  some  whom  I  sincerely  love,  and  who  fully  reciprocate  my 
affection.  How  glad  I  would  be  to  see  you  here !  I  know  not  what  ef 
forts  I  should  not  £ut  forth  to  show  you  how  much  I  esteem  you  But  I 
hope  to  meet  you  in  Columbia.  In  the  meantime,  let  me  hear  from  you 
again.  Your  letters  are  delightfully  refreshing ;  they  are  like  cold  water 
to  a  thirsty  soul. 

"Most  truly  and  sincerely,  your  friend, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

To  his  old  friend,  General  James  Gillespie,  he  writes, 
under  date  of  June  17th,  1850  : 

•  *  *  4  «  i  have  jugt  nnisne(j  a  ioug  artide  on  slavery,*  for  our 
Review,  which  is  now  in  press.  I  endeavoured  to  grapple  with  the  phi 
losophical  argument  of  Dr.  Channing  and  Professor  Whewell.  It  is  the 
substance  of  a  sermon  which  I  recently  preached  in  Charleston;  and 
which,  I  learn,  gave  great  satisfaction.  At  the  earnest  entreaty  of  men 
whose  judgment  I  respect,  I  have  agreed  to  publish  it ;  and  selected  the 
present  form  as  the  most  durable  and  useful.  As  soon  as  it  is  out  I  will 
send  you  a  copy. 

*  This  article,  referred  to  also  in  the  preceding  letter,  will  be  found  in 
the  fourth  volume  of  Dr.  ThomweH's  "  Collected  Writings  ";  together 
with  another  important  paper  on  the  same  subject :  a  Report  submitted 
to  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina,  adopted  by  that  body  in  1851,  and  or 
dered  by  them  to  be  published.  These  documents  give  the  prevailing 
opinions  held  by  Christian  people  at  the  South  on  a  subject  which  is  now 
purely  historic,  and  are  still  valuable  as  a  clear  statement  of  the  prin 
ciples  which  were  involved  in  it. 


346  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

"  What  an  unexpected  calamity  was  the  death  of  Elmore  !  What  a. 
lesson  in  regard  to  the  vanity  of  man,  and  the  emptiness  of  human 
honours !  His  funeral  was  the  most  solemn  and  impressive  scene  that 
I  ever  witnessed  in  my  life ;  and  was  about  as  profitable  to  me  as  any 
circumstance  that  has  recently  happened.  I  never  felt  more  powerfully 
than  on  that  occasion,  the  transcendent  value  of  Christian  hope ;  it  is 
indeed  an  anchor  to  the  soul,  both  sure  and  steadfast.  His  corpse  ar 
rived  just  about  nightfall,  and  he  was  buried  by  the  light  of  a  few  stars 
above,  and  a  few  lanterns  below.  The  body  was  in  such  a  condition 
that  it  could  not  be  kept  until  morning.  His  wife  fainted  at  the  grave  ; 
his  eldest  daughter  knelt  down  and  prayed ;  and  everything  around  us 
was  still  and  solemn  as  eternity.  The  scene  impressed  me  so  much,  that 
all  sleep  was  taken  from  my  eyes.  I  gave  myself  up  to  my  thoughts ; 
and  was  able  to  pour  forth  my  feelings  next  day  in  a  sermon,  which, 
I  trust,  will  not  be  lost  upon  the  young  men.  My  text  was,  *  Be  ye, 
therefore,  also  ready.'  Mr.  Barnwell  has,  I  hear,  accepted  the  appoint 
ment  to  the  vacancy.  The  Governor  could  not  have  selected  a  better 
man ;  and  I  sincerely  trust  that  our  difficulties  at  Washington  may  be 
satisfactorily  adjusted." 

"We  interpose  here  a  portion  of  a  letter  to  liis  brother- 
in-law,  the  Rev.  A.  J.  Witherspoon,  who  had  long  been 
an  inmate  of  his  house  as  a  student  in  College,  and  for 
whom  he  cherished  the  strongest  affection: 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  December  10,  1850. 

"MY  DEAR  JACK  :  I  received  your  letter,  written  from  Greensboro  ugh, 
last  night,  giving  us  the  not  unexpected  intelligence,  that  you  are  soon 
to  be  married.  Nothing,  I  assure,  you,  would  afford  me  more  pleasure 
than  to  be  present  on  the  occasion,  and  to  pronounce  the  words  which 
would  for  ever  bind  you,  in  sacred  and  mysterious  union,  with  the  object 
of  your  choice.  But  this  happiness  I  am  compelled  to  forego.  My 
duties  in  the  College,  and  the  condition  of  my  family,  render  it  impos 
sible  for  me  to  leave  home  at  present.  But,  although  my  person  must 
be  absent,  my  heart  shall  be  with  you.  My  prayers  shall  be  mingled 
with  yours,  that  the  blessing  of  Almighty  God  may  descend  upon  you, 
and  that  you  and  your  love  may  live  -habitually  as  heirs  of  the  grace  of 
life.  You  are  entirely  too  dear  to  me,  on  many  grounds,  to  permit  me 
to  be  indifferent  in  regard  to  an  event  of  so  much  importance.  I  con 
gratulate  you  upon  your  prospects  ;  for  if  anything  can  be  inferred  from 
the  name,*  you  have  every  omen  of  prosperity  and  happiness.  My  ex 
perience  has  taught  me  that  it  is  noble  blood  to  flow  in  the  veins  of  a 
wife.  I  bid  you  a  cordial  G*od-speed;  and  trust  that  every  returning 

*  The  bride  was  a  Miss  Witherspoon,  from  a  branch  of  the  same  fam 
ily  with  that  of  Mrs.  Thornwell. 


CALL  TO  CHARLESTON.  34:7 

anniversary  of  the  event  may  be  an  Ebenezer  in  your  history,  in  which 
you  shall  delight  to  recount  the  manifold  memorials  of  Divine  goodness. 

"Your  sister,  I  need  not  say,  is  highly  gratified  at  your  prospects; 
and  if  it  were  within  the  compass  of  possibility,  she  would  not  fail  to  be 
present,  to  grace  your  nuptials  with  a  sister's  smile,  and  a  mother's 
blessing.  All  the  children  greet  you ;  for  there  is  not  a  soul  about  my 
house,  whether  young  or  old,  bond  or  free,  that  does  not  lovo  Uncle  Jack, 
nor  a  heart  that  does  not  leap  at  the  mention  of  his  name.  Your  boy* 
knows  that  something  is  about  to  happen,  but  he  cannot  precisely  com 
prehend  its  import.  *  *  * 

"  Give  our  kindest  remembrances  to  all  of  Dr.  Witherspoon's  family ; 
and  may  the  blessing  of  our  covenant  God  rest  upon  you  and  yours, 
now  and  ever,  is  the  sincere  prayer  of  your  sincere  friend, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

The  year  of  1850  was  a  turbulent  one  in  the  history 
of  the  College.  The  Lord  of  Misrule,  who  so  often 
delights  to  break  up  the  peace  of  our  Colleges,  asserted 
now  his  supremacy.  For  some  trivial  reason,  the  whole 
Junior  class  rose  in  rebellion  against  the  authorities,  and 
and  were  suspended,  making  a  fearful  chasm  by  their  re 
moval.  Other  causes,  of  a  more  private  and  personal 
nature,  conspired  to  render  Dr.  Thornwell  uncomfortable 
in  his  position,  and  predisposed  him  to  listen  to  overtures 
from  abroad.  In  the  month  of  March,  1851,  the  Glebe 
Street  Church,  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  made  out 
a  call  for  his  pastoral  services,  which  he  accepted.  This 
church  had  been  organized,  under  the  Rev.  Abner  A. 
Porter,  D.  D.,  as  an  off-shoot  from  the  Second  Presby 
terian  church  of  that  city.  It  was  then  in  the  feebleness 
of  its  infancy.  Dr.  Thol'nwell's  resignation  was  accepted 
by  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  he  entered  upon  his  duties 
in  the  month  of  May.  His  own  letters  will  give  the  best 
account  of  his  brief  connection  with  that  church.  On 
the  7th  of  May,  he  thus  writes  to  the  Rev.  A.  J.  With- 
erspoon: 

"DEAR  JACK:  I  have  received  your  kind  letter.  The  Board  of  Trus 
tees  is  now  in  session,  and  I  shall  keep  this  letter  open  to  inform  you, 

*  One  of  Dr.  Thornwell's  little  sons,  who  was  named  in  honour  of 
Mr.  Witherspoon. 


34:8  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

in  a  postscript,  of  the  result  of  my  application.  My  impression  is  that, 
tinder  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  I  shall  be  released.  I  have  put 
it  on  the  ground  of  a  personal  favour,  after  thirteen  years'  hard  labour. 
Besides  arguing  the  matter  very  ingeniously^  in  a  letter,  I  have  gone 
round  among  the  members  of  the  Bpard,  and  fairly  begged  off.  They 
•were  very  much  disposed  to  kick,  in  the  hope  of  detaining  me  finally, 
and  breaking  up  the  Charleston  movement  altogether.  But  when  I 
assured  them  my  honour  was  pledged,  and  this  result  was  altogether 
hopeless,  they  seemed  disposed  to  accommodate  me.  I  think,  therefore, 
that  matters  are  in  a  fair  way.  Should  I  get  off,  I  will  probably  be  in 
Charleston  on  Sunday,  the  18th.  *  *  * 

"  Most  affectionately  yours, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

P.  S. — The  Board  has  adjourned.  I  am  released.  The  Church,  there 
fore,  may  look  for  me  on  the  18th. 

"CHARLESTON,  May  24,  1851. 

"My  DEAREST  WIFE:  Upon  my  return  this  evening  from  Sullivan's 
Island,  I  found  your  delightful  letter,  written  partly  in  Columbia,  and 
partly  in  Camden.  I  had  heard  from  one  of  the  students,  who  was  down 
here  on  leave  of  absence,  that  Gillespie  had  fallen  from  a  wall.  He  also 
assured  me  that  the  doctor  had  said  that  he  was  not  hurt ;  and  to  relieve 
me  of  all  anxiety,  said  further,  that  he  had  seen  him,  as  usual,  playing 
in  the  campus,  the  afternoon  of  the  accident.  But  what  gave  me  most 
comfort  was,  that  I  received  no  telegraphic  dispatch  from  you ;  which 
I  was  sure  that  I  would  have  received,  if  the  child  had  been  seriously 
hurt.  I  am  very  thankful  that  the  Lord  has  been  so  kind  to  us,  in  pre 
serving  him  in  the  midst  of  danger.  I  sincerely  trust  that  He  will  yet 
make  him  the  means  of  saving  multitudes  from  the  awful  dangers  of 
sin.  Let  us  endeavour  to  consecrate  him,  and  all  our  children,  to  God's 
service,  and  to  train  them  up  for  God's  glory.  *  *  * 

"I  have  just  returned  from  a  second  excursion  to  Sullivan's  Island. 
It  is  certainly  the  most  delightf ul  summer  retreat  that  I  have  ever  visited. 
I  met  with  Mr.  Adger's  family  there,  and  they  took  me  out  to  ride.  We 
rode  about  five  miles  on  the  sea-shore,  with  the  water  roaring  near  us, 
aid  the  cool  breezes  blowing  fresh  upon  us;  and  I  could  hardly  keep 
from  shedding  tears,  that  you  were  not  there  to  enjoy  the  scene.  I 
thought  of  you,  plodding  your  way,  through  clay  and  dust,  up  to  Ian- 
caster  ;  annoyed  by  children,  ill  served  by  servants,  and  in  feeble  health. 
How  I  wished  you  were  here.  *  *  * 

"I  have  visited  eight  or  ten  families  in  the  congregation,  and  have 
been  very  much  pleased  with  them.  They  are  all  plain  people,  but  very 
spiritual.  I  have  been  agreeably  surprised  at  the  tone  of  piety  and 
prayerf  ulness,  which  seems  to  prevail  amongst  them.  This  circumstance 
has  encouraged  me  more  than  anything  else.  They  are  people  that  I 
know  you  will  like,  and  will  feel  at  home  amongst  them  at  once.  Mr. 
Caldwell  and  his  family  have  been  very  kind  to  me.  They  have  treated 


CALL  TO  CHARLESTON.  34:9 

me  with  the  most  cordial  and  whole-souled  hospitality.  I  sometimes 
insinuate  that  my  toes  begin  to  ache  already  with  incipient  gout.  They 
know  what  good  living  is,  and  yet  everything  is  utterly  unpretending. 
Their  hearts  are  entirely  }n  the  cause  of  Christ, -and  especially  in  the 
Glebe  Street  Church. 

"You  will  see,  from  my  account  of  myself,  that  I  am  leading  a  de 
plorably  idle  life.  I  have  read  hardly  anything  but  the  Bible  since  I 
came  here.  I  wander  about,  and  take  exercise,  and  bathe.  I  sleep  when 
and  as  I  please.  All  study  I  have  carefully  avoided ;  and  every  one  con 
gratulates  me  upon  looking  so  well.  I  have  certainly  improved ;  the  sea 
air  is  just  the  thing  for  me.  *  *  * 

"May  the  Lord  keep  you  as  the  apple  of  the  eye. 

' '  Most  devotedly,  your  husband, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

To  the  same : 

"  CHARLESTON,  May  26,  1851. 

"  MY  DEAREST  WIFE  :  *  *  *  *  I  preached  twice  yesterday,  as 
usual.  The  congregation  was  good  in  the  morning,  but  crowded  almost 
to  suffocation  at  night.  The  pews  are  to  be  rented  this  week;  and  we 
shall,  perhaps,  be  able  to  make  some  guess  as  to  how  we  are  likely  to 
succeed.  The  time  is  not  most  favourable  now,  as  many  are  away, 
others  preparing  to  go  away,  and  many  unsettled.  But  it  was  very  for 
tunate,  or  providential,  for  the  church,  that  I  came  down  at  once  I  am 
anxious  to  have  an  eye  single  to  God's  glory.  If  it  were  my  purpose  to 
please  the  people,  I  could  soon  gather  a  large  congregation  ;  but  I  want 
to  build  up  a  spiritual  church,  and  that  cannot  be  done  without  the  spe 
cial  agency  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  I  cotild  soon  draw  around  me  those  who 
have  itching  ears ;  but  I  wish  to  attract  people,  not  to  myself,  but  to  the 
cross  of  my  Divine  Redeemer.  Such  a  work  requires  patience,  watch 
fulness,  and  prayer. 

*  *  *  "I  am  getting  very  impatient  for  you  to  come  down.  The 
amplest  arrangements  are  made  for  your  accommodation.  As  soon  as 
you  come,  you  will  go  over  to  Sullivan's  Island,  and  enjoy  the  fresh  air, 
and  the  delightful  walks  and  rides  upon  the  beach ;  and,  if  you  will  risk 
it,  the  bathing  in  the  sea.  Take  the  best  care  of  yourself ;  and  be  sure 
to  come  down  at  the  time  appointed. 

"Most  devotedly,  your  husband, 

J.  H.  THOENWELL," 

To  the  Rev.  A.  J.  Witherspoon : 

"SULLIVAN'S  ISLAND,  June  17,  1851. 

"  MY  DEAE  JACK  :  I  was  truly  rejoiced  to  hear  from  you  this  evening, 
though  extremely  sorry  to  learn  that  your  health  has  been  so  feeble.  You 
must  not  overtask  yourself :  a  righteous  man  is  merciful  to  his  beast. 


350         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

You  have  no  right  to  commit  suicide.  The  ministry  of  the  gospel  is  a 
noble  calling ;  but,  like  every  other  pursuit,  we  must  engage  in  it  ac 
cording  to  our  strength,  and  not  beyond  it.  I  have  some  experience  in 
the  matter,  and  am  fully  satisfied  that,  in  reference  to  it,  as  well  as  every 
other  enterprise,  the  old  maxim,  festina  lente,  is  a  wise  one.  You  will 
be  able  to  accomplish  more  in  the  long  run,  by  not  overtasking  yourself 
at  the  beginning.  He  that  has  a  long  race  before  him,  sets  off  at  a 
moderate  pace.  The  thing  to  be  guarded  against  is,  sparing  ourselves 
from  indolence,  or  the  love  of  ease ;  that  is  sinful.  But  when  a  man 
really  aims  at  God's  glory,  and  husbands  his  resources  for  larger  and 
more  effective  service,  he  is  no  more  to  be  condemned  than  the  thrifty 
economist  who  guards  against  a  prodigality  which  his  means  do  not 
authorize  him  to  indulge  in.  I  have  nothing  to  say  in  regard  to  the 
Louisiana  scheme,  but  to  urge  you  to  do,  what  I  know  you  will  not  be 
backward  to  do,  to  commit  the  whole  matter  to  the  Lord,  and  to  ask 
counsel  from  him.  If  He  does  not  call  you,  He  will  make  it  plain  to  you 
in  some  way  or  other,  if  you  humbly  and  honestly  seek  His  guidance. 
All  that  I  would  say  is,  the  Lord's  will  be  done. 

"Your  sister  reached  Charleston  on  Saturday.  I  was  deplorably  lone 
some  without  her,  occasionally  very  blue ;  but  her  presence  has  acted 
like  a  charm,  and  cheered  me  amazingly.  The  church  here  is  getting 
along  as  well  as  could  be  expected.  The  congregations  are  very  good  in 
the  morning,  and  at  night  we  have  a  perfect  jam.  So  many  people  have 
had  to  be  turned  off  from  inability  to  get  into  the  house,  that  I  am  afraid 
they  will  be  discouraged  from  coining.  I  have  been  preaching  some  very 
close  and  searching  sermons.  My  impression  is  that,  in  the  course  of 
the  winter,  I  shall  be  able  to  gather  a  very  respectable  permanent  con 
gregation.  The  prospect,  at  least,  is  a  very  encouraging  one  ;  and  I  am 
not  sanguine  about  such  things.  *  *  *  *  The  Lord  bless  you  and 
and  keep  you,  and  guide  you  into  all  truth  and  duty. 
' '  Most  truly  yours, 

J.  H.  TnOBNWELIi." 

The  following  is  addressed  to  his  little  son,  not  yet 
seven  years  of  age.  It  reveals  him  as  a  Christian  father, 
in  his  intercourse  with  his  little  ones  : 

"SULLIVAN'S  ISLAND,  June  17,  1851. 

"MY  DEAB  GILLESPIE:  Your  mother  is  now  with  me,  and  we  often 
think  and  talk  and  pray  about  our  dear  little  boy  in  Sumter  District.  We 
know  that  you  are  in  the  hands  of  kind  friends,  who  will  take  the  best 
care  of  you.  But  we  are  very  anxious  that  you  should  try  and  be  a  good 
boy  vourself.  You  must  mind  everything  that  cousin  Sarah  Ann,  or  Mr. 
Knox,  says  to  you.  Learn  all  the  lessons  they  give  you  ;  use  no  bad 
words ;  answer  your  questions  every  Sunday  ;  and  pray  to  God  every 
morning  and  night.  It  would  do  your  father  a  great  deal  of  good  to  see 


CALL  TO  CHARLESTON.  351 

you  fond  of  reading  the  Bible,  and  other  books.  I  hope  that  God  may 
yet  make  you  a  preacher.  There  is  nothing  that  would  please  me  so 
much  as  to  see  you  a  good  man,  and  in  the  pulpit.  You  must  not  think 
it  smart  to  be  rude  and  boisterous,  and  cruel  to  poor  animals,  that  cannot 
help  themselves.  You  must  not  curse  or  swear,  for  anything  in  the 
world ;  and  no  matter  what  you  do,  never  tell  a  story ;  always  speak  out 
the  truth,  whatever  may  be  the  consequences. 

"  I  wish  you  could  be  here  to  see  the  great  sights  that  are  to  be  seen. 
Your  mother  goes  down  every  day  into  the  big  waters,  and  lies  down  in 
them  until  they  cover  her  up.  It  is  good  for  her  health.  She  has  al 
ready  improved  a  great  deal  since  she  came  down.  We  often  walk  on 
the  sea  shore ;  and  she  picks  up  a  whole  parcel  of  pretty  little  shells, 
which  she  intends  to  carry  home,  and  give  them  to  you  children.  We 
see  a  great  many  ships,  and  steamboats,  and  little  boats,  sailing  about 
every  day.  You  would  enjoy  it  very  much.  But  I  know  you  are  happy 
among  the  tall  pines  of  Sumter.  You  get  so  many  good  things  to  eat, 
I  am  afraid  you  will  not  be  willing  to  conie  home  again.  I  want  you  to 
be  happy,  and  to  enjoy  yourself ;  but  at  the  same  time,  I  want  you  to 
be  good.  May  the  Lord  bless  you,  my  son,  and  take  care  of  you ;  and 
make  you,  some  day,  a  useful  preacher. 

"  Your  affectionate  father, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

To  the  Eev.  Thomas  E.  Peck : 

"SULLIVAN'S  ISLAND,  July  1,  1851. 

"  MY  DEAE  THOMAS  :  I  received  your  welcome  letter  on  Saturday,  all 
the  more  welcome  for  being  gratuitous.  As  to  your  mental  depression, 
I  can  hardly  prescribe  a  cure.  If  it  arises  from  dyspepsia,  nervous  irri 
tation,  indigestion,  or  costiveness,  the  best  thing  you  can  do  will  proba 
bly  be  to  take  a  blue  pill.  If  it  arises  from  a  sense  of  sin,  of  guilt,  un- 
worthiness,  and  misery,  there  is  a  fountain  open  for  such  disorders ;  and 
the  way  of  access  you  know  better  than  I  can  tell  you.  If  your  gloom 
is  occasioned  by  a  feeling  of  unprofitableness  as  a  minister,  by  doubts 
as  to  the  propriety  of  your  occupying  your  present  position,  your  true 
place  is  to  remain  cheerfully  and  comfortably  where  you  are,  until  God, 
in  His  providence,  calls  you  to  another  sphere.  An  honest  desire  to 
know  God's  will  is  the  best  security  against  misfctke.  He  will  not  per 
mit  those  who  humbly  seek  His  direction,  to  wander  in  forbidden  paths. 
You  may  not  have  the  success  that  you  want ;  but  if  your  labour  is  ac 
cepted  of  God,  that  is  enough.  Wait  upon  Him,  and  He  will  guide  you 
with  His  eye. 

"I  have  been  here  now  for  seven  weeks,  and  have  spent  most  of 
the  time  upon  the  sea  shore.  The  atmosphere  has  been  balmy  and 
refreshing;  and  the  entire  exemption  from  all  labour,  except  that  of 
preaching  on  Sundays,  has  been  very  grateful  to  my  body.  The  pros 
pect  of  success,  in  my  new  charge,  is  not  without  encouragement. 
There  are  some  circumstances,  however,  which  are  calculated  to  operate 


352  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

against  us.  The  church  itself  is  not  a  comfortable  building.  It  is  not 
only  small  in  its  proportions,  but  jammed  and  crowded  in  its  pews. 
The  location,  also,  is  very  obscure  ;  and,  in  addition  to  all  this,  the  idea 
of  a  pauper  missionary  enterprise  seems  to  have  been  associated  with  it. 
None  of  these  considerations  have  any  weight  with  me,  but  the  first.  I 
wish  the  house  were  larger  and  more  comfortable.  I  do  not  wish  a  fine 
church ;  I  have  no  idea  of  drawing  people  to  Christ  by  bricks  and  mor 
tar  ;  but  I  want  it  like  a  gentleman's  dress,  free  from  criticism.  We 
shall  either  have  to  build  another,  or  to  remodel  the  present.  Our  con 
gregations  at  night  are  very  large  ;  our  morning,  which  is  our  congre 
gation,  seems  to  be  steadily  increasing.  But  I  can  form  no  definite 
opinion  as  to  the  result  of  my  removal,  until  next  winter.  We  shall 
then  see  whether  there  is  much  demand  for  our  pews.  My  great  wish 
is  to  organize  a  congregation  whose  bond  of  union  shall  be  the  gospel 
in  its  life  and  power. 

"Pimgent  and  searching  evangelical  preaching  is  much  needed  in 
this  city.  Fine  houses,  splendid  organs,  fashionable  congregations, — 
these  seem  to  be  the  rage.  It  is  not  asked,  what  a  man  preaches ;  but 
where  he  preaches,  and  to  whom.  If  he  has  an  imposing  building, 
adorned  with  sofas  for  the  rich  to  lounge  on,  where  they  are  lulled  into 
repose  by  an  equally  imposing  orchestra,  that  is  the  place  for  a  gen 
tleman;  and  to  go  there  twice  on  Sunday,  is  to  worship  God.  This 
state  of  feeling  I  am  anxious  to  see  thoroughly  undermined,  and 
broken  up.  It  insinuates  itself  under  the  most  artful  and  seducing 
pleas  ;  and  we  often  find  ourselves  the  victims  of  its  influence,  when 
we  supposed  that  we  were  only  zealous  for  the  diffusion  of  religion.  I 
am  afraid  that,  throughout  the  country,  our  Presbyterian  population  is 
too  much  giving  way  to  it.  We  cannot  wield  such  weapons ;  they  be 
long  to  Prelacy  and  Popery.  And  if,  in  a  silent,  secret,  imperceptible 
way,  I  can  do  anything  here  to  arrest  it,  I  shall  feel  that  I  have  accom 
plished  a  noble  work.  If  I  can  make  what  is  preached  the  standard  of 
judgment,  in  regard  to  a  minister  or  church,  I  shall  feel  that  I  have 
done  much. 

"I  am  glad  that  Dr.  Breckinridge  is  about  to  discuss  the  subject  of 
instrumental  music.  It  is  getting  to  be  a  very  great  evil.  Every  church 
here,  I  think,  has  an  instrument  of  some  kind,  but  mine  and  the  Metho 
dists.  At  any  rate,  there  is  a  decided  taste  for  them. 

"Do  you  still  eat»sheep?     If  so,  this  is  the  place  for  you.      The 
Charleston  market  abounds  with  lambs,  from  a  month  to  a  year  old ; 
but  I  have  not  touched  them.     Let  me  hear  from  you  soon. 
"Most  truly  yours, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 


The  foregoing  letters  give  the  account  of  Dr.  Thorn- 
well's  very  brief  connection  with  the  Glebe  Street  church, 
in  the  city  of  Charleston,  which  was  destined  to  be  very 


CALL  TO  CHARLESTON.  353 

suddenly  broken.  It  is  remarkable  that  every  effort 
made  by  him  to  escape  from  the  duties  of  academic  life, 
was  instantly  arrested.  Indeed,  his  whole  career  shows 
how  often  Divine  providence  holds  a  man  to  a  given  sta 
tion,  even  against  his  own  wishes  in  the  case,  until  his 
work  in  it  is  fully  done.  This  was  the  third  attempt  to 
leave  the  College  for  a  pastoral  charge,  since  1837,  when 
he  first  entered  its  service.  On  the  2d  of  December,  1851, 
Dr.  Thoruwell  was  elected  President  of  the  South  Caro 
lina  College,  in  the  place  of  the  Hon.  W.  C.  Preston, 
whom  increasing  ill  health  compelled  to  resign.  The 
letter  which  follows  discloses  the  conflict  through  which 
he  passed,  before  this  position  was  accepted : 

"  CHARLESTON,  December  12,  1851. 

"  MY  DEAREST  WIFE  :  I  am  surprised  at  your  looking  for  me  home,  as 
you  must  remember  that  I  told  you  I  had  a  speech  to  make  before  the 
Charleston  College  to-night  It  was  for  that  reason  that  I  have  spent 
the  week  here.  I  made  my  speech  to-night ;  and,  so  far  as  I  know,  it 
took  very  well.  It  was  delivered  in  the  chapel  of  the  Charleston  Col 
lege.  The  auditory  was  small,  but  select ;  and  the  speech  amazingly  dry 
and  metaphysical.  *  *  * 

"  I  have  passed  a  week  of  severe  and  bitter  conflict.  It  has  been  my 
earnest  desire  to  know  and  to  do  the  Lord's  will.  I  have  endeavoured 
to  suppress  every  other  feeling,  but  a  simple  eye  to  the  glory  of  God. 
But  I  had  no  idea  of  the  strength  of  attachment  that  is  felt  here  for  me. 
The  people  cannot  speak  upon  the  subject  without  bursting  into  tears. 
The  prospect  of  usefulness  is  more  promising  than  it  has  ever  been  be 
fore  ;  and  the  congregation  has  endeavoured  to  meet  the  thing  in  the 
right  spirit.  They  had  a  special  prayer-meeting  last  night ;  and  every 
member  of  the  church,  that  was  not  providentially  hindered,  was  there , 
and  the  scene  was  a  truly  melting  one.  They  say  that  Martin  prayed 
like  a  man  inspired.  These  things  have  moved  me  very  deeply.  I 
know  the  people  respected  and  esteemed  very  highly ;  but  I  had  no  idea 
of  the  love,  the  real  love,  that  they  had  for  me,  as  a  minister  of  the  gos 
pel.  It  makes  the  trial  very  severe  and  painful  to  me.  The  Session 
had  a  meeting  last  night ;  and  we  have  determined  to  lay  the  matter 
before  the  congregation  on  Monday.  I  feel  that,  after  all  the  prayer 
which  has  been  offered  in  the  case,  the  decision  of  the  congregation  will 
be  for  the  glory  of  God.  They  will  approach  the  subject  in  the  right 
spirit ;  and  I  am  persiiaded  that  God  will  direct  them.  Whatever  they 
decide,  I  shall  feel  bound  in  honour  to  abide  by.  If  you  could  have  been 
with  me  this  week,  you  would  have  been  satisfied  that  it  is  a  most  serious 


354         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

step  to  give  up  so  delightful  a  charge  for  the  martyrdom  of  College. 
My  impression  is,  that  the  congregation  will  hold  on  to  me.  I  think 
their  existence,  in  a  measure,  depends  upon  it;  and  if  they  do,  they 
will  cling  more  closely  to  me  than  they  would  otherwise  have  done.  I 
am  reconciled  to  whatever  Providence  may  order,  as  I  have  honestly 
sought  to  kno-v\  my  duty.  Under  this  state  of  the  case,  you  may  have 
the  comfort  of  knowing  that  our  suspense  will  soon  be  over.  On  Mon 
day  the  question  will  be  settled ;  and  I  sincerely  trust  that  your  mind 
may  be  reconciled  to  any  issue.  As  a  matter  of  feeling,  of  comfort,  of 
happiness,  of  usefulness  to  my  family,  I  prefer  the  Church.  In  some 
other  respects,  the  College  may  have  the  advantage ;  though  even  here 
my  mind  is  not  clear.  The  thing  that  most  distresses  me  is,  that  you 
may  not  be  satisfied  to  leave  Columbia ;  and  to  do  a  thing  that  would 
grieve  you,  would  almost  take  my  life.  But  the  Lord  reigns.  Let  us 
both  submit  the  matter  to  Him,  and  endeavour  to  acquiesce  in  His  will. 
The  Lord  bless  you.  Kiss  all  the  children ;  and  pray  for  me  in  this 
strait. 

"  Your  most  devoted  husband,  * 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

By  the  resolution  adopted  by  the  Glebe  Street  congre 
gation,  in  the  spirit  of  a  noble  self-sacrifice,  he  was  left 
free  to  obey  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience,  under  the 
guidance  of  Divine  providence. 


CHAPTEK  XXV. 

PRESIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE. 

ENTERS  UPON  THE  PRESIDENCY  or  THE  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE. — FIT 
NESS  FOR  THAT  POSITION. — His  IDEA  OF  THE  HIGHER  EDUCATION. — A 
COMPULSORY  CURRICULUM  PREFERRED  TO  THE  ELECTIVE  COURSES  OF 
THE  UNIVERSITY. — VIKWS  DEVELOPED  IN  HIS  LETTER  TO  GOVERNOR 
MANNING. — VISIT  TO  OLDER  INSTITUTIONS  AT  THE  NORTH. — AT  CAM 
BRIDGE. — LETTERS  WRITTEN  THERE. — AT  NEW  HAVEN. — LETTERS. — 
SPEECH  AT  THE  YALE  DINNER. 

DR.  THORNWELL  entered  upon  his  duties,  as  Presi 
dent  of  the  South  Carolina  College,  in  the  month  of 
January,  1852.  He  brought  to  this  responsible  position 
a  large  experience  as  a  Professor  in  this  very  school,  and 
was  fully  acquainted  with  its  excellencies  and  its  detects. 
His  views  upon  the  whole  subject  of  education  were  also 
fully  matured.  He  properly  considered  its  first  object  to 
be  the  discipline  of  the  mind,  to  elicit  its  dormant  powers, 
and  to  train  these  for  vigorous  self-action ;  whilst  the  mere 
acquisition  of  knowledge  he  regarded  as  secondary  in 
importance.  His  favourite  idea  was  to  restrict  under 
graduates  to  studies  by  which  the  mind  may  be  systema 
tically  developed;  and  at  the  close  of  a  prescribed  and 
compulsory  curriculum,  to  engraft  upon  the  College  the 
main  features  of  the  University  system,  with  its  large  and 
varied  apparatus  for  the  fuller  communication  of  know 
ledge.  He  has  been  accused  of  disparaging  the  natural 
sciences  as  a  part  of  liberal  education ;  in  which  there  is 
undoubtedly  a  misapprehension  of  his  true  position.  He 
certainly  did  not  estimate  them  highly  as  instruments  of 
mental  discipline;  and  thus  assigned  them  a  small  place 
in  that  scheme  of  education  which  is  intended  to  train  the 
mind.  But  he  would  give  them  ample  scope  in  that  broader 

355 


356  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

scheme,  which  takes  the  disciplined  mind  and  adorns  it 
with  various  knowledge.  He  simply  shifted  their  position 
from  the  gymnasium  to  the  University;  and  would  rejoice 
in  their  cultivation  as  the  furniture,  rather  than  as  the 
diet  of  the  mind. 

He  was  a  zealous  advocate  of  common  school  education 
among  the  masses;  but  firmly  held  to  the  opinion,  that 
knowledge,  after  all,  is  diffused  by  its  own  law  of  descent 
from  above,  below — percolating  through  society  from  the 
surface  to  the  lowest  bed  beneath.  Hence,  he  laboured 
to  promote  the  highest  education  among  the  few,  as  the 
surest  way  to  quicken  and  enlighten  the  less  favoured 
masses.  It  is  hard  to  swim  against  the  current  of  the  age. 
His  grand  ideal  of  an  institution,  which  should  unite  the 
thorough  training  of  the  gymnasium  with  the  large  cul 
ture  of  the  University,  was  never  realized;  and  he  has 
left  the  great  problem  of  education  yet  to  be  solved :  how 
to  adjust  the  wide  diffusion  of  knowledge  with  that  depth 
and  accuracy  of  learning  which  it  was  the  object  of  his 
life  to  secure. 

A  few  extracts  from  his  celebrated  letter  to  Governor 
Manning  will  present  his  views  on  these  points  autho 
ritatively  to  the  reader.  He  thus  speaks  of  the  design 
which  the  College  has  in  view : 


"Devoted  to  the  interests  of  general,  in  contradistinction  from  pro 
fessional,  education,  its  design  is  to  cultivate  the  mind  without  reference 
to  any  ulterior  pursuits.  '  The  student  is  considered  an  end  to  himself ; 
his  perfection  as  a  man  simply,  being  the  aim  of  his  education.'  The 
culture  of  the  mind,  however,  for  itself,  contributes  to  its  perfection  as 
an  instrument ;  so  that  general  education,  while  it  directly  prepares  and 
qualifies  for  no  special  distinction,  indirectly  trains  for  every  vocation 
in  which  success  is  dependent  upon  intellectual  exertion.  It  has  taught 
the  mind  the  use  of  its  powers,  and  imparted  those  habits  without  which 
those  powers  would  be  useless.  It  makes  men,  and  consequently  pro 
motes  every  enterprise  in  which  men  are  to  act.  General  education 
being  the  design  of  a  College,  the  fundamental  principles  of  its  organi 
zation  are  easily  deduced : 

"1.  The  selection  of  studies  must  be  made,  not  with  reference  to  the 
comparative  importance  of  their  matter,  or  the  practical  value  of  the 


PRESIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE.  357 

knowledge,  but  with  reference  to  their  influence  in  unfolding  and 
strengthening  the  powers  of  the  mind.  As  the  end  is  to  improve  miud, 
the  fitness  for  the  end  is  the  prime  consideration.  *  *  *  Hence,  the 
introduction  of  studies  upon  the  ground  of  their  practical  utility  is,  pro 
tanto,  subversive  of  the  College.  It  is  not  its  office  to  make  planters, 
mechanics,  lawyers,  physicians,  or  divines.  It  has  nothing  directly  to 
do  with  the  uses  of  knowledge.  Its  business  is  with  minds,  and  it  em 
ploys  science  only  as  an  instrument  for  the  improvement  and  perfection 
of  mind.  "With  it  the  habit  of  sound  thinking  is  more  than  a  thousand 
thoughts.  When,  therefore,  the  question  is  asked,  as  it  often  is  asked, 
by  ignorance  and  empiricism,  what  is  the  use  of  certain  departments  of 
the  College  curriculum  ?  the  answer  should  turn,  not  upon  the  benefits 
which  in  after  life  may  be  reaped  from  these  pursuits,  but  upon  their 
immediate  subjective  influence  upon  the  cultivation  of  the  human  facul 
ties.  They  are  selected  in  preference  to  others,  because  they  better  train 
the  mind.  It  cannot  be  too  earnestly  inculcated,  that  knowledge  is  not 
the  principal  end  of  College  instruction,  but  habits.  The  acquisition  of 
knowledge  is  the  necessary  result  of  these  exercises,  which  terminate  in 
habits,  and  the  maturity  of  the  habit  is  measured  by  the  degree  and 
accuracy  of  the  knowledge ;  but  still,  the  habits  are  the  main  thing 

"2.  In  the  next  place,  it  is  equally  important  that  the  whole  course  of 
studies  be  rigidly  exacted  of  every  student.  Their  value,  as  a  discipline, 
depends  altogether  upon  their  being  studied ;  and  every  College  is  de 
fective  in  its  arrangements  which  fails  to  secure,  as  far  as  legislation 
can  secure  it,  this  indispensable  condition  of  success.  *  *  *  The 
curriculum  must  be  compulsory,  or  the  majority  of  students  will  neglect 
it.  All  must  be  subjected  to  catechetical  examinations  in  the  lecture- 
room,  and  all  must  undergo  the  regular  examinations  of  their  classes,  as 
the  condition  of  their  residence  in  College.  The  moment  they  are  ex 
empted  from  the  stringency  of  this  rule,  all  other  means  lose  their  power 
upon  the  mass  of  pupils.  ****** 

"3.  Another  cardinal  principle  in  the  organization  of  the  College,  is 
the  independence  of  its  teachers.  They  should  be  raised  above  all 
temptation  of  catering  for  popularity,  of  degrading  the  standard  of  edu 
cation  for  the  sake  of  the  loaves  and  fishes.  They  should  be  prepared 
to  officiate  as  priests  in  the  temple  of  learning,  in  pure  vestments,  and 
with  hands  unstained  with  a  bribe.  *  *  *  The  true  security  for  the 
ability  of  the  professional  corps,  is  not  to  be  sought  in  starving  them, 
or  in  making  them  scramble  for  a  livelihood;  but  in  the  competency, 
zeal,  and  integrity  of  the  body  that  appoints  them,  and  in  the  strict  re 
sponsibility  to  which  they  are  held."  *  *  *  * 


He  then  proceeds  to  refute  the  objection,  that  the 
higher  education  benefits  only  the  privileged  few  who 
can  avail  themselves  of  it : 


358  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

"It  is  great  weakness  to  suppose  that  nothing  can  contribute  to  the 
general  good,  the  immediate  ends  of  which  are  not  realized  in  the  case 
of  every  individual.  *  *  *  The  educated  men,  in  every  community, 
are  the  real  elements  of  steady  and  consistent  progress.  They  are  gen 
erally  in  advance  of  their  generation  ;  light  descends  from  them  to  their 
inferiors  ;  and  by  a  gradual  and  imperceptible  influence,  emanating  from 
the  solitary  speculations,  it  may  be,  of  their  secret  hours,  the  whole 
texture,  of  society  is  modified,  a  wider  scope  is  given  to  its  views,  and  a 
loftier  end  to  its  measures.  They  are  the  men  who  sustain  and  carry 
forward  the  complicated  movements  of  a  refined  civilization  ;  the  real 
authors  of  the  changes  which  constitute  epochs  in  the  social  elevation 
of  the  race.  Pitt  could  not  understand,  and  Fox  refused  to  read,  the 
masterly  speculations  of  Adam  Smith  upon  the  Wealth  of  Nations.  He 
was  ahead  of  his  age.  The  truth  gradually  worked  its  way,  however, 
into  minds  of  statesmen  and  legislators ;  and  now,  no  one  is  held  to  be 
fit  for  any  public  employment  who  is  not  imbued  with  the  principles 
of  political  economy.  *  *  *  The  solitary  scholar  wields  a  lever 
which  raises  the  whole  mass  of  society.  It  is  a  high  general  education 
which  shapes  the  mind,  and  controls  the  opinions  of  the  guiding  spirit 
of  the  age ;  it  is  this  which  keeps  up  the  general  tone  of  society ;  it  is 
at  once  conservative  and  progressive.  *  *  *  * 

"In  the  next  place,  it  should  not  be  omitted  that  general  education 
is  the  true  source  of  the  elevation  of  the  masses,  and  of  the  demand  for 
popular  instruction.  Every  educated  man  is  a  centre  of  light ;  and  his 
example  and  influence  create  the  consciousness  of  ignorance  and  the 
sense  of  need,  from  which  elementary  schools  have  sprung.  Defective 
culture  is  never  conscious  of  itself,  until  it  is  brought  in  contact  with 
superior  power.  There  may  be  a  conviction  of  ignorance,  in  reference  to 
special  things,  and  a  desire  of  knowledge,  as  the  means  of  accomplishing 
particular  ends ;  but  the  need  of  intellectual  improvement,  on  its  own 
account,  never  is  awakened  spontaneously.  *  *  *  *  Hence,  it  is 
knowledge  which  creates  the  demand  for  knowledge,  which  causes  igno 
rance  to  be  felt  as  an  evil ;  and  hence  it  is  the  education,  in  the  first 
instance,  of  the  few,  which  has  awakened  the  strong  desire  for  the  illumi 
nation  of  the  many.  Let  knowledge,  however,  become  stagnant ;  let  no 
provision  be  made  for  the  constant  activity  of  the  highest  order  of  minds, 
in  the  highest  spheres  of  speculation ;  and  the  torpor  would  be  commu 
nicated  downwards,  until  the  whole  community  was  benumbed.  *  *  * 
Scholars  are,  therefore,  the  real  benefactors  of  the  people ;  and  he  does 
more  for  popular  education  who  founds  a  University,  than  he  who  in 
stitutes  a  complete  and  adequate  machinery  of  common  schools.  The 
reason  is  obvious :  the  most  potent  element  of  public  opinion  is  wanting, 
where  only  a  low  form  of  culture  obtains ;  the  common  schools,  having 
no  example  of  anything  higher  before  them,  would  soon  degenerate, 
and  impart  only  a  mechanical  culture — if  they  did  not,  which  I  am  in 
clined  to  think  would  be  the  case,  from  their  want  of  life — if  they  did 
not  permit  the  people  to  relapse  into  barbarism.  Colleges,  on  the  other 


PRESIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE.  359 

hand,  will  create  the  demand  for  lower  culture  ;  and  private  enterprise, 
under  the  stimulus  imparted,  would  not  be  backward  in  providing  it. " 

With  these  views  as  to  the  importance  of  the  higher 
education,  and  of  the  discipline  necessary  to  its  attain 
ment,  Dr.  Thorn  well  entered  upon  the  administration  of 
the  College.  He  evinced  his  zeal  in  the  discharge  of  his 
new  trust,  by  devoting  the  first  vacation  to  a  visjt  north 
ward,  that  he  might  inspect  the  methods  which  obtained 
in  the  older  and  more  celebrated  institutions  of  Cam 
bridge  and  Yale.  His  impressions  will  be  best  commu 
nicated  in  the  letters  which  he  wrote  during  that  tour. 
The  first  is  addressed  to  the  Rev.  A.  J.  Witherspoon; 
which  we  introduce,  partly  because  it  opens  his  plan  of 
visitation,  but  chiefly  because  it  reveals  a  severe  bereave 
ment  in  the  death  of  a  little  daughter,  his  youngest,  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  months. 


"  COLUMBIA,  June  28,  1852. 

"  MY  DEAR  JACK  :  It  has  been  a  long  time  since  I  heard  from  yon,  and 
though  I  have  been  extremely  anxious  about  you,  I  have  been  living  in 
hopes  that  every  day  would  find  you  on  your  return  to  your  dear  native 
State.  I  am  just  from  the  Waxhaws,  whither  I  had  gone  on  a  melancholy 
errand,  the  burial  of  my  sweet  babe,  Mary  Elizabeth  She  died  on  the 
20th  inst. ,  and  I  took  her  to  the  last  resting  place  of  her  little  sister, 
who  had  preceded  her  to  heaven  by  many  years.  It  was  a  sad  office, 
but  I  trust  God  has  sanctified  it  to  my  good.  I  feel  that  my  child  has 
blessed  me  in  her  death,  though  it  was  denied  her  to  bless  me  by  her 
life.  But  it  moves  many  a  painful  thought,  that  such  was  my  ingrati 
tude,  such  my  guilty  distance  from  God,  that  it  cost  the  life  of  my  little 
one  to  bring  me  to  a  sound  mind.  ***** 

44  Our  vacation  has  begun.  I  shall  leave  the  last  of  this  week  for 
Charleston,  and  from  there  I  shall  go  to  the  North.  I  propose  to  visit 
several  of  the  northern  Colleges,  Harvard,  Yale,  Dartmouth,  &c.,  at 
their  commencements,  in  order  to  collect  such  hints  as  may  be  useful  to 
me  in  the  conduct  of  this  institution.  I  have  endeavoured  to  persuade 
your  sister  to  go  with  me,  but  she  is  very  reluctant  to  leave  the  chil 
dren. 

"The  wife  of  Wade  Hampton,  Jr.,  Colonel  Preston's  sister,  died  sud 
denly  yesterday.  She  will  be  buried  this  afternoon.  Such  is  life  !  In 
health  one  day,  in  the  grave  the  next !  Her  husband  had  completed  a 
magnificent  mansion ;  it  was  splendidly  furnished  ;  all  things  were  ready 


360  LLFK  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

to  begin  to  live ;  and,  lo !  in  an  instant,  vanity  is  written  upon  all  these 
hopes  and  preparations.     *     *     * 

"Most  truly,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THORNWEUL." 


"BALTIMOBE,  July  12,  1852. 

"MY  VEEY  DEAR  WIFE  :  I  arrived  at  this  city  about  six  o'clock  on  Satur 
day  afternoon,  and  am  lodging  with  Mr.  Coulson,  a  member  of  Peck's  con 
gregation.  .  I  preached  only  once  yesterday,  and  that  was  for  Peck.  *  * 

' '  I  had  a  very  pleasant  time  in  Washington.  I  could  have  spent  a 
week  longer  with  interest.  Mr.  De  Saussure  was  very  kind  and  attentive. 
We  called  on  the  President  together,  but  failed  to  see  him,  as  he  was 
very  much  engaged  at  the  hour  of  our  call.  I  spent  an  evening  with 
General  Hamilton,  in  company  with  Mr.  De  Saussure  and  Colonel  Burt. 
Hamilton  gave  me  letters  to  the  very  first  men  in  Boston — to  Everett 
and  Sparks.  Burt  also  gave  me  a  letter  to  Mr.  Winthrop,  the  former 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  a  man  of  very  high  standing. 
By  means  of  these  letters,  I  shall  be  enabled  to  accomplish  very  plea 
santly  all  that  I  have  in  view  at  Cambridge.  I  had  many  other  invitations 
from  gentlemen  at  Washington,  which,  for  want  of  time.  I  was  compelled 
to  decline.  Butler  returned  while  I  was  there,  and  was  extremely  cour 
teous.  He  hunted  me  up,  as  soon  as  he  came,  and  offered  his  services 
in  any  enterprise  which  I  might  wish  to  prosecute.  I  saw  none  of  the 
clergymen  in  Washington  or  Georgetown.  *  *  *  *  As  to  my  health, 
I  think  that  I  am  improving.  The  pain  in  my  hip  troubles  me  less  than 
it  did,  though  I  still  feel  it  occasionally.  In  every  other  respect  I  am  as 
well  as  usual.  But  I  have  a  good  deal  of  anxiety  about  you  and  the 
children.  You  must  not  expose  yourself  during  this  intensely  warm 
weather.  You  must  keep  your  mind  free  from  care  and  anxiety.  Abjure 
the  needle.  Give  yourself  up  to  light  employments  and  recreation.  It 
would  be  a  source  of  great  satisfaction  if  I  had  you  with  me.  But  at 
this  particular  time,  a  man  can  do  nothing  but  keep  to  the  house  and  eat 
ice  cream. 

"May  the  Lord  watch  over  us  both,  and  keep  us  in  perfect  safety; 
and  bring  us  together  again,  in  health  of  body,  mind,  and  soul.  Kiss  all 
the  children. 

"Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL.  '* 


"CAMBRIDGE,  July  21,  1852. 

"MY  CHARMING,  DARLING  WIFE:  I  had  not  thought  to  write  to  you 
until  to-morrow  night,  as  we  are  now  in  the  midst  of  the  Cambridge 
festivities ;  but  I  was  so  delighted  to-night  upon  receiving  two  letters 
from  you,  that  I  must  drop  you  a  line,  even  before  the  exercises  are  all 
over.  This  has  been  Commencement  day.  The  crowd  that  attended 
was  numerous.  The  exercises  were  held  in  a  large  church,  and  it  was 


PRESIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE.  361 

literally  jammed  and  crammed.  We  had  thirty  speeches ;  just  think  of 
that.  We  commenced  at  ten  o'clock,  and  came  out  at  three.  I  was 
assigned  a  conspicuous  place  on  the  stage,  next  to  ex-Presidents  Quincy 
and  Edward  Everett.  After  the  speeches,  I  joined  the  Faculty  and 
Overseers  in  the  College  dinner.  It  was  a  very  interesting  affair,  well 
served  up,  and  we  had  good  appetites  for  it.  They  concluded  the  dinner 
by  singing  the  seventy- eighth  Psalm.  This  has  been  an  old  custom, 
handed  down  from  the  Puritan  fathers.  It  was  really  an  imposing  cere 
mony  ;  and  I  should  have  enjoyed  it  very  much,  if  I  had  not  remembered 
that  they  were  all  Unitarians,  witnessing,  in  this  very  service,  to  their 
own  condemnation.  The  exercises  of  the  young  men  were  not  equal  to 
those  we  have  in  our  own  College. 

"  This  evening  I  spent  with  Professor  Walker,  one  of  the  ablest  men 
connected  with  the  faculty  of  this  ancient  University.  We  had  a  great 
deal  of  pleasant  talk  about  College  discipline  and  College  studies.  To 
morrow  is  to  be  another  great  day.  Mr.  Winthrop,  late  Speaker  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  at  Washington,  is  to  deliver  the  annual  oration 
before  the  Alumni  of  the  University,  after  which  they  all  repair  to  a 
splendid  dinner.  I  am  invited  as  a  guest.  I  am  told  that  it  will  be  a 
splendid  affair ;  all  their  best  men  will  make  speeches  at  the  table.  Mr. 
Everett  is  to  preside.  He  has  been  very  polite  and  attentive  to  me,  and 
is  certainly  one  of  the  most  accomplished  men  that  I  ever  saw  in  my 
life.  As  soon  as  I  arrived  and  sent  my  card,  he  despatched  a  very 
handsome  note  to  me,  inviting  me  to  attend  the  dinner,  and  called  upon 
me  this  morning  before  I  was  up.  We  sat  together  upon  the  stage 
to-day,  and  had  a  good  deal  of  pleasant,  desultory  talk.  He  is  what  you 
would  call  a  finished  man.  We  have  no  other  such  man  in  America. 
Yesterday  evening,  Dr.  Sparks,  the  present  President,  called  upon  me, 
and  made  a  very  favourable  impression.  They  have  not  been  content 
with  mere  courtesies.  They  have  also  given  me  some  work  to  do.  I 
have  been  appointed  by  Sparks  upon  a  committee  to  sit  in  judgment  upon 
the  exercises  of  a  number  of  students  to-morrow  morning,  who  will 
speak  for  a  prize.  I  accepted  the  appointment,  because  I  wanted  to  see 
and  learn  as  much  as  I  could  about  the  working  of  this  ancient  and 
venerable  institution. 

"You  cannot  imagine  how  attractive  this  place  is  to  me.  There  is  but 
one  draw-back,  and  that  is  the  religion;  it  makes  me  sad  to  see  such  men, 
so  accomplished,  so  elegant,  at  once  such  finished  gentlemen  and  such 
aflmirable  scholars,  sunk  into  so  vile  a  faith.  I  have  really  had  scrupies 
about  associating  with  them  as  I  have  done.  But  it  must  be  confessed 
that  Boston  is  a  great  city.  There  are  things  about  it  that  make  you 
proud  of  it  as  an  American  city.  It  is  the  most  elegant  city  in  the 
Union.  'Here  you  have  the  noblest  specimens  of  the  Yankee  character. 
The  people  here  remind  you  very  much  of  England.  There  is  none  of 
the  littleness  that  you  meet  with  in  other  parts  of  New  England. 

"Tell  Nanny  I  am  much  obliged  to  her  for  her  letter,  and  will  buy 
her  the  breast-pin.  Harvey  I  must  excuse,  and  take  the  will  for  the  deed. 


362  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

Bless  all  the  children,  and  kiss  them  for  me.     The  Lord  preserve  you 
all.     As  ever, 

"Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


"BOSTON,  July  24,  1852. 

"My  PRECIOUS,  CHARMING  WIFE  :  Though  I  have  written  to  you  so 
recently,  yet  I  know  you  will  not  take  it  amiss  that  I  write  to  you  again, 
as  it  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  commune  with  you  in  spirit,  when  I  am 
absent  from  you  in  the  body.  Last  night  I  attended  a  very  pleasant  and 
agreeable  party  at  President  Spark's.  This  morning  he  called  on  me 
quite  early,  and  we  had  a  great  deal  of  conversation  about  Colleges,  and 
so  on. 

"  This  morning  I  came  into  Boston,  and  spent  the  forenoon  with  Mr. 
Everett^  in  his  library.  I  was  invited  to  dine  there,  but  declined,  as  I 
wanted  to  hunt  up  the  Harts.  After  dinner  I  set  out  upon  that  errand. 
I  could  find  no  such  hospital  anywhere.  I  inquired  at  all  the  leading 
hotels,  and  no  one  there  had  ever  heard  of  such  an  institution.  I  looked 
at  all  the  Directories,  and  could  get  no  clue  to  it.  I  inquired  of  gentle 
men  in  book  stores,  and  they  could  tell  me  nothing.  I  remembered 
that  Colonel  John  Preston  told  me  he  thought  the  institution  was  at 
Iloxbury.  So  I  jumped  into  an  omnibus,  and  went  over  to  Roxbury.. 
I  inquired  at  the  principal  hotel  there ;  no  one  had  ever  heard  of  such 
an  institution  there.  I  was  at  the  end  of  my  row,  and  thought  I  should 
have  to  return  to  Boston  with  my  finger  in  my  mouth.  But  I  perse 
vered.  I  went  into  a  store,  and  asked  a  shop-keeper.  He  knew  no 
thing  of  it ;  but  said  if  there  was  such  a  thing  any  where  in  that  region, 
I  could  find  out  by  calling  on  a  physician  that  lived  near.  So  I  plucked 
up  courage,  went  to  the  doctor's  house,  rung  the  bell,  a  servant  ap 
peared.  I  asked  if  Dr.  Gotten  was  at  home.  'Yes,  sir.'  'Will  yoxi 
please  ask  him  if  .he  will  step  to  the  door  ?  A  stranger  wishes  to  speak 
with  him  a  moment. '  The  servant  withdrew,  and  Dr.  Gotten  soon  ap 
peared.  'Excuse  me,'  I  said,  'for  intruding  upon  you,  sir;  but  am  a 
stranger  from  South  Carolina,  and  wish  to  obtain  directions  for  finding 
the  hospital  for  spinal  patients.'  'Did  I  not  see  you,  sir,  the  other  day 
at  Cambridge  ?'  he  replied ;  '  and  did  I  not  hear  you  speak  ?  Are  you 
not  Dr.  Thornwell,  of  the  South  Carolina  College  ?'  I  told  him  I  was. 
He  then  very  politely  asked  me  into  his  drawing-room,  gave  me  a  book 
to  read,  saying  that  he  had  to  despatch  some  patients,  who  were  wait 
ing  on  him,  and  would  instantly  join  me.  He  soon  re-appeared,  and 
told  me  that  there  was  no  such  hospital ;  but  added,  '  I  know  the  place 
you  want  to  "find;  it  is  a  private  establishment,  where  a  Dr.  Barre  at 
tends  to  cases  of  that  sort.'  He  then  got  a  map  of  the  town,  and  showed 
me  exactly  where  it  was.  I  told  him  that  I  was  very  much  obliged  to 
him,  and  would  instantly  order  a  cab.  '  No,  sir,'  said  he  ;  '  I  will  take 
you  myself.'  With  that,  he  ordered  his  chaise,  or  buggy,  drove  me  to 


I'RKSIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE.  363 

the  place,  where  I  found  the  Harts ;  and  would  wait  for  me  until  I  got 
through  my  call.  He  then  made  me  get  in  again,  and  drove  me  for  two 
hours  among  all  the  villages  and  fine  scenery  for  six  miles  around  Bos 
ton,  explaining  everything  to  me  as  we  went.  Now,  can  South  Carolina 
beat  that  ?  My  heart  was  deeply  touched  at  the  unostentatious  kindness 
which  was  thus  heaped  xipon  a  stranger.  I  found  the  Harts  enjoying 
themselves.  They  were  in  good  spirits ;  and  thought  that  the  child  was 
decidedly  improving.  They  were  very  much  gratified  at  my  call.  I 
told  them  that  I  would  not  have  persevered  so  long  in  trying  to  find 
them,  if  I  had  not  been  afraid  to  go  home  without  seeing  them  ;  that  it 
would  be  one  of  the  first  questions  you  would  ask,  whether  I  had  seen 
them ;  and  that  I  should  be  obliged  to  tell  a  lie,  which  would  hurt  my 
conscience,  or  get  a  terrible  rasping.  So,  for  the  sake  of  peace  at  home, 
I  was  determined  to  find  them  out. 

"  Though  I  have  received  nothing  but  kindess  and  courtesy  in  Boston 
and  Cambridge,  I  sigh  for  home.  I  am  sick  of  knocking  about ;  it  is  a 
sort  of  life  that  does  not  suit  me.  I  sometimes  get  very  blue,  deplor 
ably  low-spirited,  and  think  myself  an  utter  blank  in  the  world.  My 
health  is  about  as  usual,  except  a  cold  that  I  caught  at  Cambridge,  in 
consequence  of  a  sudden  change  in  the  temperature.  It  is  not  at  all 
serious,  but  it  helps  to  depress  me,  and  make  me  wish  that  I  was  at  home 
again.  This  eternal  bustle  in  cities,  steamboats,  omnibuses,  and  rail 
road  cars,  is  no  rest ;  and  it  is  HO  horridly  distasteful  to  me,  that  it 
keeps  me  moody.  Tell  Nannie  I  shall  not  forget  her  pin ;  let  each  say 
what  he  or  she  wants,  and  I  will  tiy  to  get  it.  So,  good-night,  love  -r 
pleasant  dreams  to  you,  and  a  speedy  meeting  with 

"Your  devoted  husband,  J.  H.   T." 

"P.  S.— As  I  did  not  get  your  letter  to  the  office  last  night,  I  add  a 
postscript,  to  let  you  know  that  I  went  to  church  twice  to-day ;  in  the 
morning,  at  the  Old  South  Congregational  church ;  to-night  I  heard  Dr. 
Fuller,  of  South  Carolina.  He  produced  a  deep  eifect.  He  is,  in  some 
respects,  a  very  striking  preacher.  I  think  I  have  profited  by  both  ser 
mons  that  I  heard  ;  but  my  Christian  comforts  are  low." 

The  next  letter  bears  the  same  date,  and  touches  upon 
the  same  incidents ;  hut  it  is  addressed  to  his  colleague, 
Prof.  Matthew  J.  Williams,  and  exhibits  the  affection  he 
had  for  his  confidential  friend. 

"BOSTON,  May  24,  1852. 

"DEARLY  BELOVKD  MAJOR:  I  received  your  letter  yesterday  after 
noon  ;  and  to  show  you  how  much  I  prize  your  correspondence,  I  reply 
to  it  at  once.  This  is  Saturday,  and  I  have  been  in  this  vicinity  ever 
since  Monday.  The  festivities  at  Cambridge  occupied  Wednesday  and 
Thursday.  I  have  been  through  them  all :  and  may  say  of  them,  quo 
rum  par*  parta  fui.  Wednesday  was  Commencement  day.  There 


364:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

were  forty-one  appointments,  as  we  would  call  them  ;  they  call  them 
parts  here  ;  and  of  these  forty-one,  thirty  actually  spoke.  Only  think 
of  patience  on  a  monument,  and  listening  to  thirty  speeches  from  so 
many  College  boys  !  Well,  they  are  no  better  than  you  and  I  are  used 
to  at  home.  We  then  repaired  to  a  grand  College  dinner,  and  the  cere 
monies  there  were  exceedingly  interesting.  Of  course,  after  the  siege  we 
had  had,  we  set  to  work  con  amore ;  we  talked  some,  but  ate  more. 
The  dinner  was  prefaced  by  a  prayer  that  would  not  have  seemed  so 
long,  if  we  had  not  been  so  hungry.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  dinner, 
the  whole  company — and  an  immense  one  it  was — united  in  singing  the 
seventy-eighth  Psalm.  This  has  been  a  custom  ever  since  the  institution 
was  founded,  and  is  a  living  witness  of  its  Puritan  origin  and  aims. 
That  evening  I  took  tea  with  a  Professor  of  Cambridge,  and  we  had  a 
great  deal  of  metaphysical  talk  ;  and  I  was  very  near  coming  to  the  con 
clusion  that  I  knew  as  much  he.  So  passed  Wednesday.  Thursday 
was,  however,  the  great  day  of  the  feast.  It  was  a  day  for  the  meeting 
of  the  Alumni  from  all  quarters  of  the  land.  Great  pains  had  been 
taken  to  secure  a  general  attendance  ;  and  there  was,  accordingly,  a  mul 
titude  there,  from  the  veteran  of  eighty  to  the  boy  that  graduated 
yesterday.  Hon.  E.  C.  Winthrop  delivered  the  oration ;  it  was  two 
hours  long,  but  it  was  a  splendid  production.  I  was  actually  carried 
away  with  it.  After  the  speech,  we  repaired  to  the  Alumni  dinner ;  and 
I  assure  you  it  was  an  imposing  spectacle.  Edward  Everett  presided, 
and  opened  with  a  beautiful  speech.  We  had  several  other  speeches, 
among  which  was  a  very  short,  and  a  very  poor  one,  by  your  humble  ser 
vant,  and  a  very  capital  one  by  John  S.  Preston,  whom  I  had  introduced 
to  Mr.  Everett.  At  the  conclusion  of  Preston's  speech,  there  were  three 
hearty  cheers  given  to  South  Carolina.  They  made  the  very  welkin  ring 
in  shouting  "hurrah"  for  our  State.  The  whole  thing  passed  off 
delightfully.  In  my  speech,  I  alluded  in  very  flattering  terms  to  W.  C. 
Preston,  as  a  specimen  of  what  our  college  had  accomplished  for  tho 
country.  I  praised  his  eloquence  and  genius,  etc.,  and  took  occasion  to 
state  that  his  brother  was  by  my  side.  When  they  heard  that  a  brother 
of  Col.  Preston  was  there,  they  soon  called  him  out ;  and  he  made  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  and  appropriate  efforts  that  I  ever  heard.  Mr. 
Everett  afterwards  spoke  of  its  appropriateness  to  me  in  flattering  terms. 
"Friday,  I  spent  the  morning  in  Boston,  and  returned  in  the  afternoon 
to  Cambridge,  and  spent  the  evening  most  delightfully  with  President 
Sparks ;  and  this  morning  he  was  at  my  lodgings  before  I  was  up ;  but 
I  soon  came  down,  and,  though  he  professed  to  be  in  a  great  hurry,  he 
did  not  leave  me  for  two  mortal  hours.  As  soon  as  he  left,  I  came  into 
Boston,  and  spent  the  morning  with  Mr.  Everett,  in  his  library.  *  *  * 
On  Monday  I  leave  for  New  Haven,  where  I  propose  to  spend  a  week; 
and  then  what  I  shall  do  remains  to  be  determined.  I  have  met  with 
nothing  to  offend  me ;  but,  Major,  notwithstanding  all,  I  have  not  been 
myself.  I  was  not  myself  at  Cambridge.  I  am  low-spirited,  and  withal 
grievously  home-sick.  But  stil],  I  am  glad  that  I  came.  I  have  learned 


PRESIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE.  365 

much.  My  interviews  with  Everett  and  Sparks  have  confirmed  my 
opinions  upon  some  matters  of  the  last  importance  to  our  College.  I 
shall  have  a  learned  report  for  the  next  Board. 

"  But  my  sheet  is  full.     Kemember  me  kindly  to  Mrs.  W.,  Henry,  and 
Fanny ;  and  believe  me,  as  ever,  dear  Major, 
"Your  faithful  friend, 

"J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

We  next  find  our  friend  enjoying  "  the  feast  of  reason 
and  the  flow  of  soul,"  at  New  Haven,  Connecticut.  Of 
this  visit  no  memorial  remains  but  the  following  letter  to 
his  wife : 

"NEW  HAVEN,  July  30,  1852. 

"  MY  MOST  PKECIOUS  WIFE  :  I  have  been  here  ever  since  Monday,  and 
this  is  Friday,  and  you  cannot  imagine  how  anxious  I  am  to  get  a  letter 
from  you.  I  found  one  here  upon  my  arrival,  dated  the  20th,  and  have 
received  none  since.  What  can  be  the  matter  ?  I  have  had  a  thousand 
imaginations  ;  but  have  finally  tried  to  comfort  myself  with  the  thought 
that  'no  news  is  good  news.'  I  am  staying  at  Dr.  Wells'.*  He  and  his 
family  have  been  extremely  kind.  They  live  in  the  finest  part  of  New 
Haven,  and  in  one  of  the  finest  houses  in  the  city,  and  are  surrounded 
with  every  luxury.  They  have  really  set  themselves  to  enjoy  life. 

"  I  never  was  more  kindly  treated  than  I  have  been  here.  I  have  been 
invited  to  several  parties,  and  have  become  acquainted  with  most  of  the 
literary  men  of  the  place.  The  festivities  connected  with  Yale  College 
Commencement  terjniuated  last  night ;  and  the  first  leisure  I  have  had 
has  been  to-day.  On  Wednesday  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  Alumni,  at 
which  I  was  invited  to  be  present  and  where  I  made  a  speech  that,  I 
believe,  was  remarkably  well  received.  Yesterday  was  Commencement. 
The  exercises  were  very  tedious ;  but  I  sat  them  out.  *  *  * 

"  I  shall  remain  here  over  Sunday.  I  am  to  preach  for  Dr.  Bacon,  and 
I  shall  give  his  people  the  truth.  I  have  had  an  amusing  interview  with 
Dr.  Taylor,  the  father  of  New  Schoolism.  He  has  been  very  attentive  to 
me.  My  health  is  about  the  same  as  when  I  last  wrote.  By  Dr.  Wells's 
advice.  1  keep  ray  hip  blistered  with  croton  oil.  That  pain  has  almost 
entirely  disappeared ;  but  I  feel  that  my  system  wants  tone  and  strength. 
I  do  not  feel  that  I  am  perfectly  myself.  Dr.  Wells  proposes  to  take  a 
tour  of  two  or  three  weeks  with  me,  to  various  points ;  to  go  into  Ver 
mont,  or  to  go  to  Niagara  Falls.  It  will  all  depend  upon  hearing  from 
home.  My  heart  is  with  you  and  the  little  ones ;  kiss  them  all  for  me. 
Ma}*  God  bless  you  all,  and  keep  you.  Direct  your  letters  to  New  York, 
until  otherwise  informed. 

"Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

*  A  warm  personal  friend,  who  formerly  resided  in  Columbia,  South 
Carolina,  and  for  many  years  a  distinguished  physician  of  that  place. 


366  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HEXLEY  THOKNWELL. 

We  cannot  more  appropriately  close  this  chapter  than 
by  transcribing  the  speech  made  by  him  at  the  Alumni 
dinner  of  Yale  College,  from  the  rough  draft  found 
amongst  his  papers : 

"  It  is  with  unfeigned  diffidence  that  I  rise  to  respond  to  the  sentiment 
which  has  just  been  drunk  in  behalf  of  the  South  Carolina  College.     I 
rejoice  that  in  letters,  as  in  religion,  there  is  neither  North  nor  South, 
East  nor  West.     There  should  be  no  local  jealousies,  no  sectional  dis 
tinctions.     The  prosperity  of  one  is  the  prosperity  of  all,  as  it  indicates 
the  partial  attainment  of  the  end  for  which  all  are  instituted.     I  assure 
you,  therefore,  that  in  beholding  this  scene — a  scene  which  touchingly 
and  beautifully  illustrates  the  past  achievements  and  the  present  renown 
of  your  ancient  and  venerable  institution,  though  I  am  a  Carolinian  by 
birth,  by  education,  and  love  my  native  State,  and  my  own  Alma  Mater, 
with  a  love  passing  the  love  of  woman,  yet  I  share  with  you — nay,  morer 
I  enter  with  full  sympathy  into  the  pride  and  generous  exultation  with 
which  you  must  contemplate  these  trophies  of  Yale.     Here  are  the  fruits 
of  her  labours.     These  scholars,  these  educated  men  from  every  walk  of 
life,  from  every  liberal  profession — physicians,  lawyers,  divines,  and  men 
more  exclusively  devoted  to  the  pursuit  of  letters — these  are  the  wit 
nesses  of  her  parental  beneficence  ;  and  I  can  cheerfully  unite  with  them, 
as  they  come  from  all  quarters  of  our  wide-spread  country,  to  bring  their 
votive  offering,  the  tribute  of  their  gratitude  and  the  token  of  their  affec 
tion,  to  her  venerable  feet.  Sir,  I  cannot  describe  to  you  the  feelings  which, 
on  an  occasion  like  this,  agitate  my  breast.     It  is  not  quite  a  week  since 
I  was  invited  to  participate  in  similar  festivities  at  that  mother  of  Amer  - 
ican  colleges,  at  Cambridge.     It  was  the  first  time  in  my  life  that  I  had 
ever  sat  down  with  such  a  multitude  of  men,  whose  sole  bond  of  union 
was  letters.     I  looked  around  me  :   on  the  one  hand,  was  the  hoary  vet 
eran  of  four-score  years  ;  on  the  other,  the  boy  who  had  graduated  yes 
terday  ;  and  between  them,  all  the  stages  of  human  life.     There  were  all 
classes  of  opinion,  all  kinds  of  occupations  ;  but  all  their  differences  were 
melted  down  ;    their  hearts  were  fused  into  a  common  mass  ;   they  were 
all  pervaded  by  the  genius  of  the  place,  and  that  genius  was  the  love  of 
letters.  By  a  similar  courtesy,  I  witness  a  similar  scene  to-day  ;  and  with 
unfeigned  sincerity,  I  open  to  you  a  brother's' heart,  and  extend  to  you 
a  brother's  hand.     These  things  remind  us,  sir,  that  '  the  schoolmaster 
is  abroad  in  the  land.'     The  hope  of  our  country  is  in  the  combined  in 
fluence  of  letters  and  religion.     Our  colleges  and  schools  are  bulwarks 
and  fortresses,  stronger  and  mightier  than  weapons  of  brass  or  muni 
tions  of  rock.     A  pure  religion  and  a  sound  literature,  these  are  our 
safety,  and  should  be  our  highest  glory.    Education  is  the  cheap  defence 
of  nations. 

"I  rejoice  to  say  to  you,  sir,  that  the  institution  with  which  I  have 
the  honour  to  be  connected,  and  where  I  learned  the  little  that  I  know, 


PRESIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE.  307 

is  a  sister  whose  kindred  the  noblest  institution  of  New  England  need 
not  blush  to  own.  The  South  Carolina  College  is  organized  upon  the 
same  principles,  conducted  in  the  same  general  way,  and  devoted  to  the 
same  ends,  with  the  institutions  of  your  own  section  of  the  country.  She 
has  made,  too,  the  same  mistake  ;  she  has"  aimed  to  do  too  much.  I  am 
satisfied,  sir,  that  our  American  Colleges  have  conceded  too  much  to  the 
utilitarian  spirit  of  the  age ;  and,  in  obedience  to  it,  have  aimed  at  some 
thing  more  than  that  intellectual  discipline  which  should  be  the  object. 
They  have  undertaken,  not  simply  to  teach  men  Jww  to  think,  but  what 
to  think.  They  have  undertaken,  not  merely  to  educate,  that  is,  to  bring 
out,  and  polish,  and  perfect,  what  is  in  man  ;  but  they  have  also  under 
taken,  over  and  above  this,  to  put  into  him  what  the  exigencies  of  life 
may  require.  This,  sir,  is  too  much.  It  is  enough  for  them  to  fashion 
and  sharpen  the  instrument,  not  to  give  the  materials  upon  which  it  is  to 
operate.  We  have  all  erred  in  this  respect ;  but  I  am  proud  to  say  that 
South  Carolina  has  not  sinned  so  grievously  as  some  of  her  sisters.  But 
still,  sir,  she  has  sinned  enough.  Our  course,  as  projected,  looks  to 
much  more  than  a  simple  education,  or  effective  discipline.  It  is  largely 
scientific ;  and  though  we  do  not  turn  out  men  ready  fashioned  as  law 
yers  and  doctors,  we  help  them  amazingly  to  the  no  less  mysterious  art 
of  rearing  a  crop,  or  calculating  the  changes  of  the  weather.  We  have 
enough  of  the  practical  to  show  that  we  belong  to  the  nineteenth  century. 
"It  will  certainly  be  conceded  to  us,  Mr.  President,  that  we  have 
made  our  mark  upon  the  country.  As  I  boasted — in  no  vain  spirit, 
however — at  Cambridge,  so  I  boast  here,  that  we  have  produced  at  least 
one  scholar,  of  which  any  College  and  any  country  might  well  be  proud. 
No  name  in  this  country  stands  higher  than  that  of  HUGH  S.  LEGABE. 
His  article  in  the  New  York  Review  upon  Demosthenes  is  enough  to  im 
mortalize  him ;  but  that  was  only  the  earnest  of  his  strength.  In  the 
walks  of  public  life,  though  we  are  not  yet  fifty  years  old,  and  of  course 
never  saw  Abraham,  we  have  sent  men  to  the  councils  of  the  nation, 
with  whom  it  was  perilous  for  the  boldest  and  best  from  other  quarters 
to  enter  the  lists  in  intellectual  strife.  Need  I  tell  you  of  McDuFFiE ; 
not  the  politician,  not  the  statesman,  but  McDuffie  the  orator.  He 
was  one  of  the  few  men  that  could  still  to  silence,  and  chain  in  the  pro- 
fouudest  attention,  that  most  tumultubus,  most  disorderly,  most  ungov 
ernable  of  all  public  bodies,  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United 
States.  It  hung  with  breathless  interest  on  his  lips.  Like  Pericles— for 
it  was  of  Pericles,  and  not  Demosthenes,  that  Aristophanes  wrote  the 
sentence — he  wielded  at  will  that  fierce  democratic.  Need  I  tell  you  of 
another,  in  some  respects  still  more  accomplished  ;  a  more  graceful,  if  not 
so  vigorous  ;  more  attractive,  if  not  so  resistless  ;  one  who  could  charm 
as  well  as  persuade.  I  have  listened  for  hours,  sir,  to  the  gifted  PRESTON, 
and  have  forgotten,  under  the  fascination  of  his  eloquence,  that  there  was 
such  a  thing  as  time.  He  ruled,  like  a  wizard,  the  world  of  the  heart ; 
and  we  point  to  him  with  pride,  as  one  of  the  jewels  of  our  beloved  insti 
tution.  Sir,  if  in  less  than  half  a  century  we  had  done  nothing  but  help 


368  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

to  make  these  men,  our  time  and  efforts  and  money  would  not  have  been 
ill-spent.  This  thought  suggests  to  me  an  anecdote.  Ours,  you  know, 
is  a  State  institution.  We  have  no  funds,  no  endowment,  and  but  one 
scholarship,  the  munificent  donation  of  a  wealthy,  noble,  high-minded 
citizen,  now  in  the  vigour  of  his  faculties.  "We  are  dependent  upon  an 
annual  vote  of  the  Legislature  for  all  our  means.  When  the  College  was 
first  established,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  prejudice  in  certain  quarters 
against  it;  and  some  districts  sent . representatives  to  the  Legislature, 
who  were  not  favourable  to  its  continuance.  On  one  occasion,  while  Mr. 
McDuffie  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  after  he  had  made  one  of 
his  splendid  speeches,  the  question  of  the  College  came  up.  The  ven 
erable  Judge  Huger,  then  a  member  of  the  House,  rose  and  said,  in  his 
peculiarly  slow  and  emphatic  style  :  "  Mr.  Speaker,  if  the  South  Carolina 
College  had  done  nothing,  sir,  but  produce  that  man,  she  would  have 
amply  repaid  the  State  for  every  dollar  that  the  State  has  ever  expended, 
or  ever  will  expend,  upon  her."  The  appeal  was  irresistible ;  opposition 
was  disarmed  ;  and  every  year,  sir,  we  receive  nearly  twenty-five  thousand 
dollars  from  a  small  State,  and  from.a  poor  people. 

' '  But,  sir,  enough  of  ourselves.  I  cannot  sit  down,  sir,  without  ex 
pressing  to  Yale  our  debt  of  gratitude  for  the  part  she  took  in  fashioning 
a  man,  of  whom  South  Carolina  will  be  proud  as  long  as  her  people  can 
appreciate  genius,  patriotism,  integrity,  and  disinterested  zeal  in  the 
service  of  his  country.  Sir,  you  number  among  your  Alumni  a  name 
which  cannot  be  pronounced  in  Carolina  without  the  profoundest  emo 
tion  ;  and  may  I  not  say  it,  it  is  rather  a  glory  to  you  than  to  him,  that 
his  name  is  found  on  your  catalogue.  You  took  him,  sir,  when  we  had 
no  place  for  him  to  go  to.  You  honoured  him ;  you  understood  his 
worth ;  and  you  sent  him  out  to  gladden  and  bless  the  land.  Sir,  we 
thank  you  for  it ;  we  cannot  cease  to  love  you  for  it ;  and  as  that  dear 
and  cherished  name  is  one  in  which  we  have  a  common  interest,  permit 
me,  without  any  reference  to  any  type  of  political  opinions,  permit  me, 
on  this  occasion,  to  give  as  a  sentiment : 

"THE  MEMORY  or  JOHN  C.  CALHOUN." 


CHAPTEK  XXVI. 
RESIDENCY  CONTINUED. 

CORRESPONDENCE. — CRITICISM  OF  ASSEMBLY  or*  1852. — TEMPERANCE  AD 
DRESS. — LETTERS  TO  DR.  PECK  AND  OTHERS. — PUBLICATION  OF  "DIS 
COURSES  ON  TRUITH." 

WHILE  the  subject  of  these  Memoirs  is  occupied  with 
the  routine  of  College  discipline,  we  will  employ  the 
leisure  in  tracing  his  private  life,  as  opened  in  the  corres 
pondence  of  the  period.  The  first  letter  is  dated  a  little 
back,  and  is  addressed  to  his  friend,  Dr.  R.  J.  Breckin- 
ridge,  in  which  he  criticises  the  action  of  the  Assembly 
of  1852,  that  met  in  the  city  of  Charleston: 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA. COLLEGE,  June  28,  1852. 

"Mr  DEAR  BROTHER:  It  has  been  in  my  heart  to  write  to  you,  ever 
since  the  meeting  of  the  Assembly  ;  but  cares  and  afflictions  have  com 
bined  to  prevent  me  so  long,  that  I  am  now  almost  ashamed  to  take  up 
my  pen.  I  have  just  committed  to  the  grave  a  lovely  babe,  nearly  seven 
teen  months  old.  It  was  snatched  away  most  unexpectedly :  and  though 
I  trust  that  I  am  fully  resigned  to  the  Divine  will,  my  heart  has  bled  at 
this  sudden  and  unlocked  for  bereavement.  It  was  our  youngest  child, 
and  a  sweeter  babe  never  delighted  a  father's  heart.  I  am  happy  to  say 
that  the  rest  of  my  family  are  well;  but  when  I  see  them  gathered 
around  me,  I  cannot  describe  the  peculiar  sadness  which  comes  over 
me  as  I  contemplate  the  breach  in  our  little  circle.  Seven  children  yet 
remain  to  me ;  two  are  gathered  into  the  bosom  of  the  great  Shepherd. 

"  You  have  probably  heard  that  I  did  not  attend  the  Assembly.  One 
of  our  Professors  was  absent  at  the  time,  and  another  sick ;  so  that  a 
mass  of  extra  work  was  thrown  on  me,  which  rendered  it  imprudent 
that  I  should  leave  the  College.  There  were  parts  of  its  proceedings 
which  were  very  unfortunate.  The  Synod  of  South  Carolina,  at  its  last 
session,  disapproved  as  irregular,  without  pronouncing  invalid,  a  pro  re 
nata  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  of  Charleston,  at  which  no  ruling  elders 
were  present.  The  terms  of  the  resolution  are  as  follows : 

"  'Resolved,  That,  in  the  judgment  of  this  Synod,  the  pro  re  nata 
meeting  of  the  Presbytery  of  Charleston,  at  Charleston,  on  September 

•  369 


370         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

Oth,  1851,  was  irregular;  inasmuch  as  it  constituted  and  proceeded  to 
business  without  a  ruling  elder.  The  Synod,  however,  admit  the  va 
lidity  of  what  they  did.'  (Printed  Minutes  of  the  Synod  of  South  Caro 
lina,  p.  19.) 

"This  resolution  was  especially  excepted  by  the  Assembly,  in  ap 
proving  the  Records  of  the  Synod.  (See  the  session  of  the  eighth  day, 
Friday,  May  28th.)  What  makes  this  bad  matter  still  worse,  I  have 
seen  no  one  yet  who  seems  to  have  understood  what  he  was  voting 
about.  The  thing  was  hurried  through  the  house  without  explanation 
or  discussion,  and  a  heavy  blow  struck  at  the  constitution  of  the  Church 
in  sheer  blindness.  It  was  a  wretched  piece  of  work,  view  it  in  what 
light  you  will.  Wretched  as  it  was,  however,  it  is  outdone  by  the  reso 
lution  in  the  case  of  the  Charleston  Union  Presbytery.  That  resolution 
quietly  ignores  all  the  great  principles  which  were  involved  in  the  whole 
New  School  controversy.  In  the  first  place,  the  Charleston  Union 
Presbytery  is  a  mixed  body.  It  was  originally  formed  by  a  union  of 
Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists.  Hence  its  name.  The  Assem 
bly,  therefore,  in  admitting  it  as  a  Presbytery,  constituted  as  it  is,  has 
virtually  endorsed  the  old  doctrine  of  the  Plan  of  Union.  This  is  one 
step  backwards.  ****** 

"But  further,  the  Assembly  has,  out  and  out,  endorsed  the  principle 
of  elective  amtiity.  It  has  made  arrangements  for  two  Presbyteries  upon 
precisely  the  same  territory.  The  Charleston  Presbytery,  and  the  Charles 
ton  Union  Presbytery,  are  to  occupy  the  same  ground.*  All  this  mischief 
was  done  upon  an  ex-parte  statement  of  the  Charleston  Union  Presby 
tery,  which  statement  was  never  read  in  the  Assembly  at  all,  but  referred 
to  a  committee,  and  that  committee  reported  by  naked  resolution.  The 
facts  of  the  case  were  not  before  the  House.  The  committee  reports  its 
judgment  upon  the  facts,  and  that  judgment  is  all  that  the  Assembly  had 
regularly  before  it.  Was  there  ever  such  a  monstrous  perversion  of 
justice  ?  The  '  statement '  was  printed,  but  not  circulated,  until  after 
the  committee  reported.  So,  at  least,  I  have  been  informed.  There 

*  This  exception  is  well  taken,  looking  only  at  the  terms  of  the  reso 
lution  adopted  by  the  Assembly,  which  was  all,  at  the  time,  before  the 
writer  of  this  letter.  The  resolution  read  thus:  "Resolved,  That  if 
the  Charleston  Union  Presbytery  shall  make  known  to  the  Stated  Clerk 
of  the  General  Assembly  their  adhesion  to  this  General  Assembly,  and 
its  doctrinal  standards,  prior  to  the  next  annual  meeting  of  the  Synod 
of  South  Carolina,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Stated  Clerk  to  communi 
cate  the  same,  without  delay,  to  said  Synod ;  and  the  Synod  shall  there 
upon  enrol  them  as  a  regular  Presbytery  in  connexion  with  this  body." 

It  is  proper  to  add,  that  the  Synod,  in  obeying  the  injunction  of  the 
Assembly,  at  once  amalgamated  the  two  Presbyteries,  which,  doubtless, 
it  was  expected  they  would  do.  But  so  far  as  the  action  of  the  Assembly 
is  concerned,  no  guard  was  thrown  against  the  re-enactment  of  the 
exploded  elective  affinity  principle. 


PRESIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE.  371 

-were  the  strongest  local  reasons  why  the  Assembly  should  not  have 
touched  this  business.  The  Charleston  Presbytery  had  adopted,  and 
was  systematically  pursuing  a  line  of  policy  which,  in  a  few  years, 
would  have  extinguished  Independency  in  the  low-country.  We  were 
gradually  absorbing  all  its  churches.  New  Schoolism  was  dead.  All  we 
wanted  was  to  be  let  alone.  But  now  things  are  put  back  where  they 
were  twenty  years  ago.  ***** 

44  My  dear  brother,  I  am  sick  at  heart.  Here  have  I  been  working  and 
toiling  for  the  past  twelve  years  to  bring  things  into  their  present 
posture  ;  and  when  everything  was  moving  on  beautifully  and  promis 
ingly,  it  is  hard  to  see  the  result  of  so  many  labours  frustrated  by  rash 
ness  and  inconsiderate  haste.  I  am  depressed  and  cast  down.  The 
Church  is  going  backwards.  She  has  forgotten  her  past  testimonies. 

' '  The  suppression  of  the  Popery  sermon  was  significant  of  the  spirit 
and  temper  of  the  men  who  compose  the  body.  But  I  have  said  enough, 
perhaps  too  much. 

"  Our  vacation  has  begun.  I  shall  leave  in  a  few  days  for  the  north. 
I  shall  be  at  the  Harvard  and  Yale  commencements.  It  would  do  me  a 
great  good  to  see  you  again  in  the  flesh.  Can  you  not  meet  me  some 
where  in  the  course  of  the  summer  ? 

"  The  Lord  be  with  you  and  bles.s  you. 

"Most  truly,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

To  Dr.  Wardlaw,  of  Abbeville  : 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  December  13,  1852. 
"  MY  DEAR  DOCTOR  :  I  write  to  impress  you  with  a  deep  sense  of  my 
gratitude  for  the  favour  you  have  conferred  upon  me  in  the  exquisite 
cigars.  They  have  but  a  single  fault,  and  that  modesty  forbids  me  to 
mention.  Still,  I  may  be  permitted  to  regret,  for  the  sake  of  those  gen 
erous  souls  that  are  disposed  to  remember  their  friends,  that  it  is  be 
coming  at  ah*  fashionable  to  put  up  such  cigars  in  such  small  boxes.  I 
would  have  you  to  understand  that  there  is  no  virtue  that  I  admire  more 
than  I  do  gratitude  ;  the  ancients  prized  it  very  much,  and  Walpole  has 
defined  it  to  be  "  the  expectation  of  future  favours."  The  cigars  will  not 
certainly  last  for  ever ;  and  even  if  they  should,  it  should  not  be  for 
gotten  that  hog-killing  comes  only  once  in  a  year,  and  sausages  are 
always  welcome.  We  love  our  friends  so  much,  that  we  rejoice  in  every 
thing  which  gives  them  an  opportunity  of  showing  how  much  they 
deserve  to  be  loved.  As  Mary  delights  in  the  commendations  of  her 
housewifery,  and  as  there  is  no  one  who  is  fonder  of  bestowing  well- 
merited  praises  than  myself,  I  should  not  at  all  be  disposed  to  decline 
the  trying  of  any  articles  of  her  preparation,  just  for  the  purpose  of 
praising  her  skill.  You  have  no  idea  of  what  eloquent  eulogiums  I 
would  pronounce,  as  I  discussed  her  sausages,  her  turkeys,  her  hams, 
her  cakes,  or  any  other  knick-knack  that  she  might  wish  to  submit  to  my 


372  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

criticism.  I  lo.ve  to  accommodate  my  friends.  And  if  you  should  come 
across  another  box  of  cigars,  and  should  be  doubtful  whether  they  are 
better  than  the  ones  sent  or  not,  you  need  not  scruple  about  sending 
them  to  me  for  my  judgment,  as  I  assure  you  it  will  put  me  to  no  sort 
of  inconvenience,  and  I  will  take  great  pleasure  in  resolving  your 
dotibts. 

"  I  am  sorry  that  you  and  Mary  were  not  with  us  this  winter.  There 
is  no  person  that  I  like  to  see  better  than  yourselves.  If  the  railroad 
were  not  out  of  joint,  I  should  be  tempted  to  run  up  and  take  Christmas 
dinner  with  you.  One  meal  at  your  house  would  do  me  for  almost  a 
year. 

' '  Most  truly,  yours  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

To  the  Eev.  (now  Dr.)  Thomas  E.  Peck : 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  April  15,  1853. 

"MY  DEAR  THOMAS  :  I  was  delighted  a  few  weeks  ago  at  receiving  a 
letter  in  your  well-known,  familiar  hand- writing.  My  wife  and  myself 
came  very  near  having  a  scramble  to  determine  who  should  read  it  first  ; 
but  we  settled  the  matter  by  my  agreeing,  with  all  humility,  to  read  it 
aloud.  It  was  curious  to  watch  the  workings  of  her  countenance,  as  I 
passed  leisurely  over  your  protracted  introduction,  in  which,  according 
to  the  rules  of  art,  you  conciliate  attention  and  propitiate  favour.  You 
were  perfectly  successful.  After  your  preamble  of  compliments,  if  we 
had  had  a  thousand  ears  you  should  have  had  them  all.  It  was  literally 
' erectis  auribus,'  that  we  passed  on  to  the  next  head  of  your  discourse. 
I  could  notice  that,  as  you  proceeded  from  topic  to  topic,  there  was  an  air 
of  impatience,  and  of  eager  expectation,  on  the  part  of  the  fair  auditor, 
which  I  was  unable  to  explain.  I  could  not  understand  what  disturbed 
her  interest  in  as  sweet  a  missive  as  I  have  had  discharged  upon  me  for 
many  a  day.  When  I  reached  the  peroration,  however,  the  mystery  was 
solved.  A  long  letter,  and  not  a  word  about  his  wife !  '  Well,  well,  I 
am  done  with  Tom  Peck ! '  I  endeavoured  to  apologize ;  but  all  in  vain. 
Perhaps,  said  I,  it  is  not  a  pleasant  subject,  and  you  would  not  have 
him  vent  his  misfortunes  on  his  friends.  Or,  perhaps  it  is  so  pleasant 
that  he  is  afraid  to  trust  himself  with  it,  lest  he  should  be  charged  with 
extravagance  or  insolence ;  or  perhaps  he  has  not  yet  vanquished  the 
shyness  incident  to  his  new  relation,  and  feels  a  little  ashamed  when  he 
talks  of  '  my  wife '  or  '  my  dear. '  I  reminded  her  that  all  newly  married 
folks  felt  a  little  sneaking  at  first.  They  had  to  get  used  to  it,  before 
the  thing  sat  easily.  I  cannot  say  that  my  oratory  has  been  very  suc 
cessful.  She  cannot  yet  comprehend  the  mystery,  that  a  man  should  be 
able  to  exclude  his  wife  from  his  mind  long  enough  to  write  a  whole 
letter.  But  you  will  perceive  that  my  efforts  have  been  very  laudable 
to  save  your  reputation. 

"  I  have  just  returned  from  Presbytery.  It  was  a  bitter  pill  to  be  '  hail 
fellow,  well  met,'  with  a  parcel  of  men  who  have  done  all  that  they  could, 


\ 

PRESIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE.  373 

within  the  last  ten  years,  to  break  down  Presbyterianism  in  South 
Carolina.  So  far  as  churches  are  concerned,  there  is  a  present  addition 
to  the  strength  of  the  body.  But,  in  the  long  run,  I  am  afraid  that  we 
shall  lose  rather  than  gain.  Some  of  us  are  determined  to  set  our  faces 
against  the  introduction  of  any  more  Congregational  ministers.  This 
will  inevitably  produce  disturbance.  The  next  pastor  of  the  Circular 
Church,  and  of  all  the  little  Island  churches  will,  of  course,  expect  to  be 
received  on  the  same  footing  with  their  predecessors.  The  opposition 
which  will  be  made  will  lead  to  controversy,  and  perhaps  to  schism. 
On  the  score  of  doctrine,  I  apprehend  but  little  mischief.  I  think,  some 
of  them  are  disposed  to  learn.  At  any  rate,  they  will  have  so  little  sym 
pathy,  if,  after  all  their  professions,  they  should  venture  on  anything  un 
sound,  that  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  managing  them.  Upon  the 
whole,  my  impression  is  that  the  union  has  put  back  the  cause  of  Pres 
byterianism  in  the  low  country  about  a  quarter  of  a  century.  My  com 
fort  is  that  the  Lord  rules,  and  that  He  can  bring  good  out  of  evil. 

"We  installed  Dr.  Kirkpatrick,  pastor  of  the  Glebe  Street  Church.  I 
never  saw  him  until  Presbytery.  He  preached  once,  and  his  sermon  was 
very  sound  and  evangelical,  and  had,  besides,  a  good  deal  of  unction.  I 
trust  that  he  may  prove  a  real  acquisition. 

"  We  have  sent  Adger  and  Dr.  Smyth,  to  the  General  Assembly.  Ad- 
ger  is  one  of  the  truest  men  I  know  ;  a  man  after  God's  own  heart.  It 
is  a  great  pity  that  his  eyes  incapacitate  him  for  regular  and  steady 
labour. 

"  I  see  that  llobinson  has  raised  a  breeze  in  Baltimore.  I  cannot  say 
that  I  am  disappointed  in  the  result.  There  must  have  been  some  who 
were  longing  for  the  truth,  or  they  surely  would  never  have  called  him ; 
and  it  was  quite  natural  that  these  should  cling  to  him,  when  his  faith 
fulness  was  driving  others  from  him.  The  schism,  in  my  judgment,  is 
an  event  not  to  be  deplored. 

"  I  have  recently  read  Bunsen's  Hippolytus,  and  rose  from  its  perusal 
with  a  feeling  of  the  deepest  sadness.  It  is  an  elaborate  effort  to  prove 
that  the  Christianity  of  the  e"arly  Church  was  moulded  in  the  type  of 
Schelling's  philosophy.  Under  the  pretext  of  zeal  for  the  cause  of  evan 
gelical  religion,  it  annihilates  every  distinctive  doctrine  of  the  Iteformed 

Church.  It  is  in  the  same  vein  with .  They  have  drunk  from 

the  same  fountains,  and  if  possible,  it  is  still  more  superficial.  Where 
will  this  thing  end  ? 

"  There  ought  to  be  some  thorough-going  exposure  of  the  vanity  and 
folly  of  the  whole  school  of  the  transcendental  philosophy.  There  is  the 
root  of  the  evil ;  and  until  the  axe  is  laid  there,  nothing  effective  can  be 
done.  I  am  meditating  an  article  on  the  subject ;  but  it  will  require 
time  and  patience.  I  have  been  studying  that  philosophy  afresh,  and 
am  taking  it  at  its  fountains.  I  am  now  reading  Kant  carefully  and 
critically  in  the  original.  I  have  sent  for  the  works  of  all  his  prominent 
successors.  In  the  mean  time,  I  am  going  thoroughly  into  ancient  philo 
sophy  ;  and  by  such  a  course  I  hope  to  be  able  to  beard  the  lion  in  his 


374  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY   THOKNWELL. 

den.  I  have  really  been  a  close  student  this  winter,  and  as  the  result  of 
it  feel  that  I  know  less  than  I  ever  did  before.  The  sense  of  ignorance 
daily  grows  upon  me,  and  frequently  disheartens  me.  And  what  is  still 
more  distressing,  my  anxiety  for  knowledge  I  find  to  be  too  much  an, 
anxiety  for  glory.  What  a  pity  that  a  man  must  be  kept  a  fool,  in  order 
to  keep  him  humble. 

"  The  College  is  getting  along  very  smoothly.  We  have  never  had  a 
more  quiet  and  orderly  time.  What,  above  all  things,  we  want,  is  an 
outpouring  of  the  Divine  Spirit.  I  have  prayed  for  it,  and  waited  for  it, 
but  I  see  no  signs  of  it.  I  rejoice  to  hear  that  the  Lord  has  blessed  your 
labours,  and  I  trust  that  you  may  yet  see  abundant  fruit  of  your  faith 
arid  patience.  The  death  of  Mr.  Spreckleson  was  a  great  loss.  I  felt 
deeply  for  you  when  I  heard  of  it.  Let  me  hear  from  you  soon  again  ; 
it  always  refreshes  me  to  receive  a  letter  from  you.  My  kindest  regards 
to  your  good  lady. 

"Most  truly,  your  friend, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

To  the  same : 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  Angus'  24,  1853. 

"  MY  DEAR  THOMAS  :  I  received  your  letter  last  Friday,  and  together 
with  it,  your  thank-offering,  which,  in  your  humility  and  poverty,  you 
have  represented  as  a  dove.  It  is  well  that,  like  the  painter  in  the  fable, 
you  have  been  considerate  enough  to  write  the  name  under  your  picture, 
as  otherwise  there  might  have  been  some  difficulty  in  detecting  the  dove- 
like  properties  of  the  animal  in  question.  It  has  something  so  much  like 
talons  and  claws,  and  manifests  so  marked  a  propensity  to  bite,  tear,  and 
devour,  that,  in  the  absence  of  positive  and  authentic  information  to  the 
contrary,  one  might  have  been  tempted  to  mistake  it  for  a  vulture  or  a 
hawk,  a  species  of  animal  that  was  never  offered  in  sacrifice.  But  dove, 
vulture,  or  hawk,  be  it  what  it  may,  I  am  glad  to  receive  it ;  and  if  such 
contributions  are  to  mark  the  birth  of  every  child,  I  could  wish  that  the 
usual  period  of  the  event  were  shortened  in  your  case,  and  that  you  might 
have  new  claims  to  be  considered  as  a  father  every  three  months,  especially 
if  the  ardour  of  your  gratitude  should  keep  pace  with  the  frequency  of 
the  blessing.  There  is  nothing  like  writing  to  make  a  man  exact.  In 
all  seriousness,  I  would  advise  you  often  to  use  the  pen  in  rendering  an 
account  to  yourself  of  the  attainments  you  have  made.  It*  has  been  the 
mistake  of  my  life  that  I  have  written  so  little.  Learn  from  my  experience. 

"The  passage  in  Sir  William  Hamilton,  I  presume,  perplexed  you 
only  on  account  of  the  introduction  of  the  terms  encentric  and  eccentric. 
The  figure  is  this :  consciousness  is  compared  to  a  circle ;  whatever  is 
given  in  consciousness,  is  within  the  circle,  encentric ;  whatever  is  not 
given,  is  without  the  circle,  eccentric.  Now,  those  who  hold  that  the 
absolute  is  &  positive  element  of  thought',  maintain  either  that  it  is  known, 
a  thing  given  in  consciousness,  and  therefore  has  objective  reality ;  or 
that  it  is  merely  a  notion,  represented  in  thought,  without  objective 


PKHSIDKNVY   OF  THK  (COLLEGE.  375 

reality.  The  first  make  it  an  intuition,  an  immediate  manifestation 
within  the  circle  of  consciousness  of  the  objective  reality.  This  is  an 
encentric  intuition.  The  other  make  it  merely  a  notion,  necessitated 
by  the  laws  of  mind  ;  in  other  words,  a  law  of  thought.  These  are  still 
within  the  circle  of  consciousness,  but  not  of  intuition.  There  is  no 
matter  given,  which  is  necessary  to  intuition.  There  is  merely  .the 
thought.  This  was  the  position  of  Kant.  Others  maintain,  that  the 
absolute  can  neither  be  known  nor  thought ;  that  it  lies  wholly  beyond 
or  without  the  circle  of  consciousness ;  that  it  is  vox  et  prceterea  nihil. 
These  make  it  an  eccentric  generalization.  Now,  the  opinion  that  it  is 
thinkable,  is  intermediate  between  the  doctrines  that  it  is  knowable, 
and  that  it  is  not  conceivable.  It  agrees  with  the  first,  in  saying  that 
it  is  something  positive  in  the  human  mind ;  it  agrees  with  the  last,  in 
saying  that  no  matter  corresponds  to  it.  Kant  brought  the  absolute 
within  the  circle  of  consciousness,  but  not  of  intuition.  Fichte  brought 
it  within  the  circle  of  both.  Hamilton  excluded  it  from  both.  I  do  not 
know  that  I  have  made  myself  intelligible.  If  not,  it  may  necessitate 
another  letter  from  you. 

"  You  ask  my  opinion  of  Sir  William's  doctrine  of  cause  and  effect. 
I  must  say  that,  with  all  my  respect  for  his  learning,  and  admiration 
of  his  genius,  he  appears  to  me  to  have  tripped  here.  His  doctrine 
concerning  the  integrity  of  being,  and  the  impossibility  of  increasing 
or  diminishing  it,  is  really  a  new  form  of  the  absolute  ;  and  involves,  as 
it  seems  to  me,  that  species  of  pantheism  into  which  Schliermaeher  fell 
in  regard  to  the  relation  of  the  universe  to  God.  Creation  is  either  a 
substantive  addition  to  being,  or  it  is  only  a  manifestation  of  what  pre 
viously  existed  substantially  in  God.  If  the  latter,  it  is  a  part  of  God 
in  a  new  form  ;  if  the  former,  the  fundamental  postulate  of  Sir  William's 
doctrine  of  cause  and  effect  falls  to  the  ground.  I  am  chary  of  all  opin 
ions  which  conflict  with  the  individuality  of  God.  He  must  be  kept 
separate  from  His  works.  He  is  a  Person,  and  acts  from  will  and 
choice ;  and  anything  of  causation  which  approximates  the  idea  of  a 
development  or  a  derivation  from  Him,  is  revolting  to  my  mind.  I 
tremble  at  anything  that  has  a  tendency  to  make  God  a  principle,  or  a 
law.  He  is  a  free  agent,  and  does  as  He  pleases.  The  universe  is  to 
be  considered  as  an  arbitrary  product  of  will.  It  might  have  been  dif 
ferent  ;  it  might  not  have  been  at  all ;  it  was  all  a  matter  resting  with 
the  choice  of  an  individual,  a  personality.  Hence,  to  know  the  universe, 
a  pi*iori,  is  to  know  God. 

"  But  a  truce  to  metaphysics.  *  *  *  I  am  at  present  alone.  My 
wife  is  on  a  visit  to  Abbeville,  to  nurse  her  sister,  Mrs.  Wardlaw,  who  is 
very  ill.  I  saw  your  mother  a  day  or  two  ago,  in  the  street,  who  was 
very  much  shocked  at  the  simplicity  of  my  dress.  She  had  just  been 
buying  some  finery,  and  I  suppose  her  judgment  was  perverted. 

"Let  me  hear  from  you  soon.     Love  to  all. 

' '  Most  truly,  your  friend, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 


376  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

To  the  Rev.  John  Douglas : 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  July  5,  1854. 

"DEARLY  BELOVED  BROTHER:  I  was  sitting  down  entertaining  com 
pany — and  a  stranger,  too,  from  a  distance — when  your  note  was  put  into 
my  hands,  announcing  the  mission  of  the  watermelons.  I  forgot  all  the 
restraints  of  decency  and  custom,  and  gave  expression  to  my  joy  ac 
cording  to  the  spontaneous  dictates  of  the  moment.  My  exclamation 
soon  collected  all  the  household,  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  I  pointed 
to  the  letter ;  they  read,  and  were  delighted  too.  How  much  happiness 
one  generous  action  produces !  He  is  blessed  himself,  and  blesses  others, 
in  whom  there  is  much  of  '  the  milk  of  human  kindness.'*  What  made 
the  watermelons  particularly  acceptable  was,  that  I  had  just  been  deliv 
ering  a  cold  water  speech  in  a  cold  water  (Baptist)  church  ;  and  although 
it  was  the  Fourth  of  July,  I  did  not  feel  at  liberty  to  venture  in  my  fes 
tivities  beyond  the  region  of  cold  water. 

"I  was  glad  you  reached  home  without  melting.  We  have  had  fine 
rains  since  you  left,  but  the  weather  still  continues  deplorably  warm.  I 
am  afraid  to  poke  my  nose  out.  The  family,  however,  all  continue  to 
enjoy  good  health.  I  cannot  promise  to  visit  you  ;  I  have  too  much  to 
do.  Mrs.  T.  joins  me  in  kindest  regards  to  Mrs.  D.  and  yourself. 
"Yours,  most  truly, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

The  temperance  address  to  which  allusion  is  made 
above,  was  delivered  at  the  request  of  the  Central  Com 
mittee  of  the  State  Temperance  Convention,  which  was 
then  moving  in  an  effort  to  secure  proper  legislation  for 
the  suppression  of  drunkenness.  This  general  policy  Dr. 
Thornwell  advocated,  though  he  did  not  commit  himself 
to  any  particular  measure.  Indeed,  the  movement  was 
only  in  its  incipiency,  and  no  details  were  as  yet  fixed 
upon.  In  this  address,  he  contended  that  the  whole  sub 
ject  came  properly  under  the  jurisdiction  of  law.  Law  is 
founded  on  the  rights  of  men;  .and  whatever  interferes 
with  these  rights,  with  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  the 
community  at  large,  falls  within  the  province  of  legis- 

*  Dr.  Thornwell  never  missed  an  opportunity  of  quizzing  his  friends. 
A  poor  creature,  whom  he  sent  off  to  Mr.  Douglas,  after  getting  tired  of 
taking  care  of  him,  was  fond  of  praising  his  new-found  friend  as  a  man 
"  full  of  the  milk  of  human  kindness."  It  became  afterwards  a  standing 
joke  against  Mr.  Douglas. 


PRESIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE.  377 

lation.  Drunkenness,  he  argued,  is  in  the  single  act  a 
crime.  It  is  a  sin  against  the  whole  man,  and  against  the 
whole  law.  It  makes  a  man  worse  than  a  beast;  for  the 
impulses  of  a  beast  are  his  law,  whilst  ours  are  blind,  and 
need  a  law.  It  would  be  a  great  advance  if  public  sen 
timent  could  be  brought  to  brand  it  with  disgrace,  and 
not  simply  to  regard  it  as  a  misfortune.  Again,  drunk 
enness,  in  its  principle,  is  a  conspiracy  against  the  law 
of  a  refined  civilization.  It  is  marked  by  the  predomi 
nance  of  the  animal  over  the  rational;  and  society  is 
therefore  called  upon,  for  its  own  protection,  to  strike  at 
an  enemy  that  threatens  the  very  citadel  of  refinement. 
Further,  he  argued  that  it  operates  like  a  disease.  In  the 
act,  it  is  a  momentary  derangement ;  in  the  habit,  it  is  a 
general  incapacity.  In  both  forms  it  affects  the  rights  of 
others;  and  the  law  should  interpose,  and  deal  with  the 
drunkard  as  it  deals  with  the  minor,  or  with  the  maniac. 
But  all  legislation,  he  concludes,  should  be  founded  on 
the  moral  convictions  of  the  community,  which  alone 
enables  a  State  to  execute  its  penal  code ;  and  a  law,  pro 
perly  framed,  would  serve  to  educate  public  opinion,  and 
mark  the  moral  progress  of  a  people. 

The  following  jeu  $  esprit  is  addressed  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
J.  B.  Adger : 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA.  COLLEGE,  September  15,  1854. 

"  DEAR  BELOVED  ADGER  :  I  received  your  note,  two  or  three  days  ago, 
upon  my  return  from  the  up  country,  and  could  not  but  notice  how 
much  easier  it  is  to  ask  questions  than  to  answer  them.  That  is  de 
cidedly  the  opinion  of  the  students ;  and  facts  seem  to  confirm  it.  Busi 
ness,  however,  of  a  carnal  kind,  is  not  always  embarrassing,  and  there 
fore  I  shall  begin  with  something  of  that  sort. 

"Be  it  known  to  you,  then,  that  my  wheat  seed  is  run  out,  and  I  want 
to  renew  it  with  a  fresh  kind.  Your  reputation  as  a  planter  has  reached 
these  parts,  and  I  know  of  no  one  who  is  so  likely  to  be  able  to  gratify 
my  wishes.  Besides,  as  dogs  will  not  eat  dogs,  one  Presbyterian 
preacher  will  hardly  cheat  another  in  a  trade. 

"  Without  further  ceremony,  I  want  you  to  send  me  twelve  bushels  of 
your  best  wheat.  I  want  it  of  the  early  kind,  and  without  beards.  If 
you  have  not  got  so  much  yourself,  you  must  try  Maxwell,  or  some  one 


3  78  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

that  can  supply  me.  I  am  going  to  take  a  fresh  start  in  wheat  sowing,, 
and  must  have  good  seed.  I  have  already  the  good  ground  ;  and  my  past 
failures  are  owing,  beyond  doubt,  to  the  seed.  It  may  be  well  to  inform 
you,  too,  that  I  have  to  buy  all  my  flour  the  present  year.  A  hint  is 
enough  to  the  wise.  Now,  the  supply  of  the  wheat  I  make  a  condition 
to  my  answering  any  hard  questions.  I  must  see  a  reasonable  prospect 
of  having  something  to  eat,  before  I  condescend  to  minister  to  any  man's 
curiosity. 

"I  have  received  another  long  letter  from  Breckinridge.  He  speaks 
in  the  kindest  terms  of  you  ;  and  is  so  marked  in  his  rapturous  admiration 
of  the  feminine  portion  of  your  household,  that  I  think  it  well  for  the 
peace  and  safety  of  you  both  that  so  many  miles  lie  between  you.  I  am 
sure  that  Mrs.  Adger  never  treated  him,  as  she  did  me,  to  ice  cream  fla 
voured  with  spirits  of  turpentine.  She  must  have  had  on  a  magic  cap ; 
and  as  she  has  marvellously  succeeded  in  getting  her  name  up,  I  advise 
her  to  follow  my  example  in  all  such  cases :  to  be  very  reserved,  and  let 

4  distance  lend  enchantment  to  the  view. '     I  have  a  great  horror,  when 
once  my  milk  pail  is  full,  of  kicking  it  over. 

"I  see  Palmer  every  whip-stitch ;  he  is  really  beginning  to  look  down 
right  well.  On  the  22d— that  is,  this  day  week— I  shall  be  in  Abbeville. 
Can  you  not  meet  me  there  ?  I  should  like  very  much  to  see  you,  and 
talk  matters  over  with  you.  I  think  I  could  give  you  a  wrinkle  or  two, 
Be  siire  to  meet  me.  My  family  is  well.  I  have  been  helping  to  dig 
some  potatoes,  and  my  hand  is  so  tremulous,  in  consequence,  that  I  can 
hardly  write.  My  kindest  regards  to  Mrs.  A.  Don't  forget  the  wheat. 
"  Very  truly,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

To  the  same : 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  September  20,  1854. 
"My  DEAR  BROTHER :  I  have  just  received  your  scratch,  and  reply  in 
a  decent  and  gentlemanly  hand,  by  return  mail.  It  will  be  impossible 
for  me  to  visit  you.  I  wish  I  could  do  so,  but  I  am  engaged  in  printing 
a  little  book,  which  requires  my  constant  attention.  I  begrudge  the  time 
I  shall  spend  at  Abbeville.  But  that  engagement  is  of  long  standing.  I 
shall  remain  there  till  next  Tuesday.  You  do  not  know  how  much  I 
want  to  see  you.  I  wish  very  much  that  you  would  come  down.  My 
best  compliments  to  Mrs.  A. 

"  Most  truly  yours, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

This  unimportant  note  is  introduced,  only  because  of 
its  reference  to  a  little  volume,  entitled  "Discourses  on 
Truth,"  published,  in  1855,  by  Robert  Carter*  and  Bro 
thers,  New  York,  and  which  will  be  found  republished  in 


PRESIDENCY  OF  THE  COLLEGE.  379 

the  second  volume  of  his  "Collected  Writings."  The 
Discourses  were  originally  delivered  in  the  chapel  of  the 
South  Carolina  College,  in  his  regular  ministrations  to 
the  students,  as  their  Chaplain.  A  single  sentence  in  the 
preface  states  the  true  character  of  the  work :  "  The 
structure  of  the  sermons  may  be  explained  by  the  circum 
stance,  that  the  author  sustains  the  double  office  in  the 
College  of  a  preacher  of  the  gospel  and  a  teacher  of  Moral 
Philosophy.  It  is  his  custom  to  make  the  pulpit  and  the 
lecture  room  subservient  to  each  other."  The  reader  will 
not,  therefore,  be  disappointed  in  finding  in  them  an  au 
thoritative  exposition  of  Moral  Science  from  the  teach 
ings  of  the  Bible.  No  higher  testimony  to  their  merit 
can  be  given  than  the  following  expression,  which  they 
drew  from  Sir  William  Hamilton,  in  a  note  addressed  to 
the  author : 

"EDINBURGH,  July  23,  1855. 

"  SIR  :  I  beg  leave  to  return  my  warmest  acknowledgments  for  your 
Discourses,  on  Truth.  I  have  read  them  with  great  interest,  and  no  less 
admiration.  I  was  particularly  pleased  with  the  justice  with  which,  it 
seems  to  me,  you  have  spoken  of  the  comparative  merits  of  Aristotle,  as 
a  moralist,  and  cordially  coincide  with  your  judgment  upon  Paley  and 
other  modern  ethical  writers.  I  need  hardly  say  that  I  feel  much  flattered 
by  the  way  in  which  you  have  been  pleased  to  make  reference  to  myself  ; 
and  I  remain,  Sir, 

"Your  most  obedient  servant, 

W.  HAMILTON." 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 
CLOSE  OF  HIS  PRESIDENCY. 

MOVEMENT  TO  TRANSFER  HIM  FROM  THE  COLLEGE  TO  THE  THEOLOGICAL 
SEMINARY. — REASONS  FOR  IT. — ACTION  OF  THE  SYNOD  OF  SOUTH  CARO 
LINA  AND  OF  GEORGIA. — RELATIVE  IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  Two  POSITIONS 
DISCUSSED,  IN  CORRESPONDENCE,  WITH  DR.  BRECKINRIDGE. — RESIGNA 
TION  OF  THE  PRESIDENCY.  — ARRESTED  FOR  A  TWELVE  MONTH.  — LETTERS. 
— ASSEMBLY  OF  18/">r>. — DEBATE  ON  THE  BOARD  QUESTION.— TERMINA 
TION  OF  His  CONNEXION  WITH  THE  COLLEGE.— REVIEW  or  His  VAST 
INFLUENCE  OVER  THE  STUDENTS. — ELEMENTS  or  CHARACTER  THAT  EX 
PLAIN  IT. — ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  IT. 

DURING  the  third  year  of  Dr.  ThornwelFs  presidency, 
a  movement  was  begun  which  resulted  in  terminating 
finally  his  connexion  with  the  College,  and  transferring 
him  to  the  chair  of  Theology,  in  the  Divinity  School  at 
Columbia,  South  Carolina.  The  change  involved  many 
and  great  sacrifices,  the  largest  of  which  was  the  loss  of 
influence,  which  the  Presbyterian  Church  exerted,  through 
him,  over  the  College  and  the  State.  In  the  light  of 
worldly  policy,  this  was  an  unwise  surrender;  but  it  was 
justified  by  weighty  considerations,  on  the  other  side. 
In  the  first  place,  honourable  as  was  the  station  which 
he  filled,  it  necessitated  a  devotion  to  the  duties  of  mere 
police,  which,  with  a  man  so  richly  gifted,  was  felt  by 
many  to  be  a  great  waste  of  power.  The  anxiety  and 
care,  too,  which  were  wrapped  up  in  this  work  of  simple 
administration,  were  evidently  consuming  his  physical 
strength;  and  it  was  only  too  apparent  that  a  constitu 
tion,  feeble  at  best,  could  not  for  a  great  while  endure 
these  exertions.  A  strong  desire  also  existed  in  the 
Church,  that  he,  who  was  regarded  with  so  much  pride 
as  pre-eminently  a  representative  man,  should  leave  be- 

381 


382  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

hind  him  some  work,  which  would  be  an  enduring  me 
morial  of  his  genius  and  of  his  fame.  He  had  already 
given  two  smaller  books  to  the  world;  and  had  contri 
buted  to  the  ^Review  many  valuable  monographs  upon  most 
important  subjects.  But  these  were  accepted  only  as  an 
earnest  of  what  more  abundant  leisure  would  enable  him  to 
achieve.  The  Church,  it  was  argued,  which  had  so  long 
lent  him  to  the  State,  should  now  reclaim  him  to  her  im 
mediate  service;  and  the  controlling  motive  with  those 
who  advocated  his  translation  to  the  Theological  Semi 
nary,  was  that,  in  the  prosecution  of  its  sacred  studies, 
lie  might  pour  out  upon  the  Church,  and  upon  the  world, 
the  treasures  of  knowledge  stored  up  through  years  of 
patient  acquisition.  Alas!  that  the  wish,  so  ardently 
cherished,  should  have  been  only  half  realized!  The 
reader  will  not  close  the  perusal  of  his  Theological  Lec 
tures,  in  the  first  volume  of  Ids  "  Collected  Writings," 
without  a  sigh  that  the  Church  did  not  have  the  wisdom 
to  effect  the  change  in  his  position  at  least  five  years 
earlier.  As  Dr.  Breckinridge  says,  in  one  of  the  letters 
we  have  given,  "  The  blade  was  too  sharp  for  the  scab 
bard."  Too  much  study,  and  too  much  care,  had  already 
done  their  fearful  execution  upon  a  feeble  frame;  and 
death  came  in  with  his  sad  arrest,  before  the  great  work 
which  the  Church  desired  was  half  executed.  In  addi 
tion  to  these  considerations,  there  was  a  general  advance, 
at-  this  period,  in  the  matter  of  theological  education. 
Princeton,  Prince  Edward,  and  Alleghany  Seminaries, 
were  all  recruited  by  the  addition  of  superior  talent  to 
their  Faculties;  and  Danville  Seminary  had  been  created 
only  the  year  before,  with  the  greatest  intellectual  force 
that  could  be  commanded  in  the  West.  The  institution 
at  Columbia  could  not  be  expected  to  hold  her  place  in 
this  honourable  competition,  unless  she  was  lifted  out  of 
the  crippled  condition  in  which  she  had  existed  from  the 
beginning,  and  equip^  ed  with  a  full  corps  of  instructors. 
The  scheme  was,  of  course,  slowly  matured  in  a  few 


CLOSE  OF  HIS  PRESIDENCY.  383 

minds,  and  WHS  discussed  at  first  only  in  private  circles. 
At  length  it  took  shape,  in  definite  resolutions,  adopted 
the  last  of  June,  or  first  of  July,  1854,  by  the  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  Columbia  Seminary.  These  resolutions 
contemplated  the  appointment  of  Dr.  Thornwell  to  the 
chair  of  Theology,  and  of  the  writer  of  these  pages  to  the 
chair  of  Church  History  and  Government,  which  he  had 
been  provisionally  occupying  for  some  time, in  connexion 
with  his  pastorship  of  the  Columbia  church.  At  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia,  the  whole  subject  was  fully  debated;  and  the 
well  digested  plans  of  the  Board  of  Directors  were  car 
ried  through.  In  accordance  with  this  intimation  of  the 
will  of  the  Church,  Dr.  Tliornwell  tendered  his  resigna 
tion  of  the  Presidency  of  the  College,  on  the  29th  of 
November,  1854;  but  was  met,  as  once  before,  with  the 
enforcement  of  the  law,  which  required  a  year's  notice 
before  the  resignation  could  take  effect.  He  was  not, 
therefore,  actually  released  until  December,  1855,  which 
forms  the  date  of  his  entrance  upon  the  duties  of  his 
Professorship  in  the  Theological  Seminary.  This  brief 
rehearsal  will  give  the  key  to  allusions  found  in  the  cor 
respondence  that  follows: 

To  the  Rev.  Dr.  Breckinridge : 

"  SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  July  18,  1854. 

"My  DEAB  BROTHER:  Your  kind  and  welcome  letter,  received  from 
Buffalo,  has  remained  unanswered,  because  I  have  been  indulging  the 
delusive  hope  of  saying  to  you  in  person  much  more  than  I  can  impart 
on  paper.  I  had  thought  of  making  a  tour,  in  the  course  of  the  summer, 
to  terminate  at  Danville.  But  my  plans  have  been  defeated ;  and  I 
must  resort.to  pen  and  ink  for  what  the  tongue  could  have  done  much 
better. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  that  Adger  left  Buffalo  with  so  warm  an  attachment 
to  yourself.  It  is  an  additional  bond  of  sympathy  between  us.  I  am 
apt  to  measure  a  man's  claims  to  respect  by  the  estimate  he  forms  of 
you  and  of  your  services;  and  as  I  have  a  very  high  opinion  of  Adger, 
I  was  gratified  to  find  that  he  gave  this  proof  of  deserving  it.  He  is 
indeed  a  noble  Roman,  or  rather  an  Israelite  in  whom  there  is  no  guile. 

"You  have  probably  Keen  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Board  of 


384  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELI* 

Directors  of  this  Seminary  in  their  last  meeting.  Things  had  reached 
a  crisis,  and  something  vigorous  was  to  be  done,  or  the  Seminary  vir 
tually  abandoned.  It  was  ascertained  that,  if  things  remained  another 
year  as  they  were,  the  next  session  would,  in  all  likelihood,  open  with 
the  merest  handful  of  students,  not  more  than  six  or  eight.  The  Board 
determined  to  propose  a  measure  which,  it  was  thought,  would  remove 
these  grounds  of  complaint.  They  nominated  me  for  the  chair  of  The 
ology,  and  Palmer  for  that  of  History.  This  procedure  has,  of  course, 
been  a  very  embarrassing  one  to  me.  The  station  which  I  now  occupy 
is  not  lightly  to  be  resigned.  The  field  of  influence  is  wide ;  and  the 
indications  are,  that  my  labours  are  not  without  success.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  was  a  grave  responsibility  to  say  that  this  Seminary  should  be 
closed.  The  work  in  it  is  most  important,  and  a  work  for  which  I  have 
some  qualifications  that  are  not  universal.  The  proposition  was  most 
unexpectedly  made  to  me,  and  was  accompanied  by  so  many  strange  co 
incidences,  that  I  was  afraid  peremptorily  to  decline  it,  lest  I  should  be 
found  fighting  against  God.  I  resolved,  therefore,  to  throw  the  whole 
matter  upon  the  two  Synods,  requiring  them,  not  to  pronounce  directly 
upon  the  question  whether  they  would  like  to  have  me  in  the  Seminary, 
but  upon  the  question  whether  I  ought  to  leave  the  College  for  that 
situation.  The  question,  consequently,  as  it  will  go  before  the  two 
Synods,  is  as  to  the  comparative  importance  of  the  two  posts ;  and  in 
this  aspect  of  the  matter,  the  decision  is  extremely  doubtful.  Trifles 
have  their  weight ;  and  one  little  thing,  which,  if  alt  men  were  mag 
nanimous,  would  hardly  have  suggested  itself  to  me,  has  really  had  a 
very  considerable  influence.  In  going  to  the  Seminary,  I  shall  have  to 
make  an  annual  sacrifice  of  fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  dollars ; 
and  I  want  it  to  be  clear  to  all  men  that,  if  I  am  retained  here,  I  have 
not  been  retained  because  I  was  unwilling  to  encounter  loss  in  the  ser 
vice  of  God. 

Now,  I  want  you  to  give  me  your  frank  opinion  upon  this  whole  sub 
ject.  You  are  able  to  compare  the  situation  I  now  fill,  with  that  which 
I  am  asked  to  fill.  I  am  sure  that  I  cannot  be  unanimously  elected ; 
too  many  members  of  this  Synod  are  interested  in  this  Colleg  for  that ; 
and  if  there  should  be  a  respectable  minority  against  the  change,  the 
question  will  have  to  be  decided  by  myself,  upon  the  best  view  I  can 
take  of  its  merits.  A  unanimous  vote  I  should  look  upon  as  a  clear 
call  of  God,  precluding  all  debate  on  my  part ;  a  divided  vote,  as  I  dis 
tinctly  announced  to  the  Board,  I  should  feel  under  no  obligations  to 
treat  with  any  further  respect  than  to  consider  the  question  it  raised. 
Now,  in  case  of  a  divided  vote,  which  I  confidently  expect,  what,  in 
your  judgment,  are  the  principles  which  should  immediately  control  my 
decision  ?  I  really  want  your  counsels  and  your  prayers. 

' '  It  has  given  me  great  pleasure  to  hear  of  the  prosperity  of  Danville. 
Your  policy  is  a  lofty  magnanimity,  and  in  your  hands,  I  am  sure  it  is  a 
policy  which  will  be  pursued. 

' '  I  have  nothing  of  special  interest  to  communicate.     I  work  hard, 


CLOSE  OF  HIS  PRESIDENCY.  385 

but  accomplish  little.  Let  me  hear  from  you  soon,  very  soon.  I  hope 
to  see  you  in  Columbia  next  winter.  We  are  to  have  a  celebration  in 
commemoration  of  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  College.  It  will  be 
quite  an  occasion,  and  you  will  be  invited  to  attend.  Turn  the  thing  in 
your  mind,  and  be  sure  to  come. 

"Most  truly  yours,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

From  the  Rev.  Dr.  Breckinridge : 

"July  28,  1854. 

MY  DEAR  THORNWELL  :  Your  letter  of  the  18th  inst.  has  been  delayed 
in  reaching  me,  by  reason  of  having  been  directed  to  Danville.  I  have, 
as  yet,  not  been  able  to  make  such  arrangements  as  to  remove  my 
family  to  that  place,  though  eight  months  of  the  year  are  spent  there 
by  me ;  the  remainder  being  spent  mainly  at  this  place,  the  spot  dearest 
to  me,  and  where  the  first  years  of  my  early  manhood  were  passed,  with 
my  young  family.  In  truth,  of  all  my  changes,  this  one  to  Danville 
has  been  attended  with  the  greatest  personal  and  domestic  inconvenience 
and  sacrifice  ;  and  by  far  the  most  cruelty  and  unkindness  on  the  part 
of  other  persons.  It  is  only  the  strongest  sense  of  duty  that  has  induced 
me  to  embark  in  the  work,  or  that  sustains  me  under  its  toils  and  re- 
ponsibilities.  At  every  :  tep  I  have  appeared  to  have  no  alternative, 
except  the  one  embraced ;  and  at  every  step,  while  everything  has  been 
every  time  put  to  risk,  thus  far  every  step  has  been  attended  with  suc 
cess.  And  that  is  still  our  condition.  Similar  favour  from  God  will 
carry  us,  far  and  soon,  on  our  way ;  but  one  false  movement  may  ruin 
everything  much  faster  than  it  has  been  built  up.  At  present,  all  seems 
promising. 

"At  Buffalo,  I  was  made  acquainted,  confidentially,  with  the  scheme 
which  the  immediate  and  enlightened  friends  of  the  Seminary  at  Columbia 
were  meditating;  and  which  has  since  then  been  made  known  to  the 
public,  and  partly  carried  to  maturity.  As  to  the  proposed  changes  in 
that  Seminary,  the  proposed  addition  of  yourself  and  Palmer  to  its  pro 
fessors,  there  can  be  but  one  opinion.  No  Seminary  in  this  country  can 
c  mpare  with  that,  if  these  arrangements  can  be  perfected.  And, 
frankly,  after  what  has  occurred  within  the  last  few  months,  I  hardly 
see  any  great  need  of  our  Danville  Seminary  at  all.  McGill  is  a  great 
addition  to  Princeton,  in  some  important  respects  ;  B.  M.  Smith  and 
Dr.  Dabney  are  both  decided  gain  to  Prince  Edwards,  in  many  things 
of  great  importance  ;  Plumer  will  make  an  era  in  Western  Pennsylvania  ; 
and  if  you  and  Palmer  enter  Columbia,  that  Seminary  must  immediately 
occupy  the  very  first  rank.  I  cannot  help  feeling,  and  I  rejoice  to  be 
allowed  to  think,  that  our  movement  in  Kentucky  has  not  been  without 
an  important  bearing,  in  stimulating  others  to  these  new  exertions ;  so 
that,  if  we  do  nothing  more,  our  efforts  will  not  have  been  unfruitful ; 
and  if  we  can  live  amidst  the  noble  competition  thus  created,  it  is  better 


386  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

a  hundred  fold  than  to  have  swallowed  up  the  poor  things  our  Seminaries 
were  fast  becoming.     Thanks  to  God  for  all  good,  every  way ! 

"As  to  yourself,  I  would  not  hesitate  to  give  the  advice  you  ask,  if  I 
had  sufficient  information  to  render  it  proper  for  me  to  do  so.  But  you 
need  not  feel  any  apprehension.  The  Lord  will  direct  you  plainly  what 
you  should  do.  On  either  hand,  you  have  a  great  work  ;  and  if  neither 
work  were  within  your  reach,  many  others  would  be  offered  to  you, 
equal  to  either  of  them.  And  if  none  were  offered,  you  have  only  to  use, 
any  way  and  any  where,  the  gifts  and  graces  God  has  bestowed  on  you, 
to  accomplish  what  few  others  could  accomplish  at  all.  There  is  really 
less,  after  all,  in  particular  positions,  than  men  persuade  themselves 
there  is  ;  and  in  our  day,  less  than  formerly  ;  and  less  and  less  hereafter. 
Still,  I  am  able  to  see  that,  in  the  Seminary  at  Columbia,  you  could  ren 
der  a  service  to  our  own  ministry,  and  eventually  to  the  cause  of  our 
Master,  which  it  would  be  impossible  to  estimate ;  while,  at  the  same 
time,  I  rather  suppose  that  Seminary  would  not  be  the  most  favourable 
position  for  such  a  work  as  you  could  do,  except  so  far  as  your  con 
nexion  with  it  would  most  materially  overnile  many  unfavourable  pecu 
liarities  of  its  position.  Whether  the  additional  good  you  cduld  hardly 
fail  to  do  to  the  Church,  would  compensate  for  the  evil  done  to  your 
State,  and  society  at  large,  by  your  change ;  and  whether,  even  admitting 
this,  the  additional  good  is  adequate,  besides,  to  require  the  very  serious 
personal  sacrifices  required  of  you ;  whether,  on  the  whole,  the  deliberate 
conviction  of  the  Church  itself  in  your  two  Synods,  especially  your  own 
Synod,  is  clear  for  this  charge  on  your  part :  these,  and  similar  ques 
tions,  which  enter  largely  into  the  case,  I  cannot  determine.  This  much 
I  may  say :  that,  in  the  presence  of  the  Assembly  of  1853,  I  publicly 
said,  if  I  supposed  there  was  the  remotest  possibility  of  your  listening 
to  such  a  proposition,  you  were,  of  all  men,  the  one  we  would  select  for 
any  chair  you  would  agree  to  fill  in  our  Danville  Seminary.  Therefore, 
there  is  every  reason  why  I  should  say,  if  fitness  is  the  only  question, 
by  all  means  accept ;  but  also  every  reason  why  I  should  say  that,  all 
questions  considered,  I,  who  despaired  of  moving  you  in  1853,  am  unable 
to  say  now,  in  1854,  that  I  can  advise  you  to  accept  a  similar,  and  cer 
tainly  not  more  important,  place.  Still,  I  must  confess  that,  if  such  were 
the  will  of  God,  I  should  feel  glad  for  you  to  accept  the  position  offered 
to  you  under  such  peculiar  circumstances,  and  for  so  needful  a  work  to 
our  Church.  May  God  bless  and  direct  you,  is  the  prayer  of 
Your  faithful  friend, 

Ro.  J.  BRECKINRIDGE." 

To  the  Eev.  (now  Dr.)  Thomas  E.  Peck: 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  February  23,  1855. 

"DEAR  THOMAS  :  Upon  receiving  the  first  number  of  the  Presbyterial 
Critic,  I  began  a  letter  to  you ;  but  not  being  in  the  right  vein,  I  had  to 
discontinue  it,  and  wait  for  a  freer  inspiration.  That  inspiration  has  not 


CLOSE  OF  HIS  PRESIDENCY.  387 

yet  come ;  but  in  consequence  of  the  recent  fire  at  the  College,  I  have 
been  compelled  to  worship  with  the  Presbyterian  people  in  town,  and  am 
subject  to  a  ceaseless  catechism  from  certain  mothers  in  Israel,  which  a 
regard  for  my  own  peace  reqxiires  that  I  should  put  to  rest  by  writing 
you  what  may  pass  for  a  letter.  Direct  assaults  I  might,  perhaps,  be 
able  to  resist,  at  least  to  parry  ;  but  if  you  could  see  the  numberless  ways 
in  which  I  am  invaded — the  oblique  hint,  the  sly  inuendo,  the  caustic 
inference,  the  leering  suspicion — you  would  perceive  at  once  that  there 
was  no  use  in  holding  out ;  that  I  had  better  set  to  work,  and  do  what  I 
can.  Excuse  me,  therefore,  as  necessity  is  laid  upon  me.  My  small 
paper  is  to  be  taken  as  no  presumption  against  my  good  faith ;  as  from 
the  closeness  and  compactness  of  my  handwriting,  I  put  more  upon  a 
sheet  of  this  size,  than  most  folks  do  upon  foolscap  or  quarto.  If  you 
will  only  take  the  trouble  to  count  the  letters,  you  will  be  surprised  at 
the  quantity  of  matter,  the  multum  in  parvo,  of  my  unpretending  little 
document. 

"The  appearance  of  your  Magazine  has  reminded  me  very  much  of 
Hamlet's  ghost,  at  least,  in  its  first  effect  upon  the  public  mind.  '  Thou 
com'st  in  'such  a  questionable  shape,  that  I  will  speak  to  thee.'  The 
Presbyterian,  Watchman,  and  Observer,  and  other  similar  papers,  seem 
to  be  in  a  great  strait  as  to  your  real,  character ;  whether  '  a  spirit  of 
health,  or  goblin  damned ; '  whether  thou  '  bring  with  thee  airs  from 
heaven,  or  blasts  from  hell ; '  whether  *  thy  intents  are  wicked,  or  chari 
table.'  I  hope,  however,  that  you  will  prove  an  'honest  ghost,'  and 
teach  us,  in  the  long  run,  that  there  are  '  more  things  in  heaven  and 
earth  than  are  dreamed  of  in  our  philosophy ; '  in  other  words,  that  all 
the  wisdom  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  is  not  locked  up  in  one  or  two 
places.  But  to  be  serious :  I  think  that  such  an  organ  as  you  propose 
to  give  us  is  greatly  needed.  The  only  mischief  to  be  apprehended  is, 
that  you  may  run  too  fast.  Festina  lente ;  let  that  be  your  motto,  and 
you  cannot  fail  to  accomplish  great  good.  With  the  tone  and  temper  of 
the  articles  I  was  entirely  satisfied ;  except  that,  in  one  of  them,  there 
were  foreshadowings  of  principles  which  I  am  not  prepared  to  endorse. 
I  allude  to  the  queries  in  "  Hints  for  the  Times,"  in  relation  to  the  press. 
So,  also,  on  the  subject  of  theological  education ;  I  am  not  sure  that  I 
understand  the  nature  of  the  change  which  has  been  introduced  at  Dan 
ville,  and  which,  it  is  insinuated,  is  an  indication  of  progress.  The 
unity  of  a  subject  is  not  destroyed  by  synthetical  teaching;  and  synthesis 
has  always  been  regarded  as  the  true  method  of  instruction.  The  other 
method  I  do  not  comprehend.  If  a  subject  has  parts,  let  the  parts  be 
mastered  and  put  together,  and  you  have  the  whole.  How  you  can  get 
the  whole  in  any  other  way,  is  more  than  I  can  divine. 

"These  things  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  general  principle  and 
aims  of  your  work ;  and  it  is  perhaps  well  that  they  should  be  thrown  out 
as  problems,  to  elicit  thought.  You  need  not  be  assured  of  my*  cordial 
concurrence  in  your  views  of  Doctrine  and  Polity ;  and  of  my  cordial 
wishes,  that  your  labours  may  be  crowned  with  complete  success. 


388  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

"Permit  me  to  return  you  my  thanks  for  your  kind  notice  of  my  little 
book,  I  do  not  know  that  it  has  attracted  any  attention  at  the  North. 
It  has  sold  remarkably  -well  here.  My  prayer  is,  that  God  may  make  it 
an  instrument  of  good  to  the  young. 

"  Let  me  hear  from  you  often.  It  always  refreshes  me  to  get  a  letter 
from  you.  Send  your  Critic  regularly.  I  shall  always  look  for  it  with 
interest.  The  Lord  bless  you  and  yours. 

"  Most  sincerely  your  friend, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

To  the  same: 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  October  27,  1855. 

' '  DEAR  THOMAS  :  You  have,  no  doubt,  discovered  by  this  time  that  I 
am  a  poor  correspondent,  and  not  much  better  in  any  other  respect. 
One  thing,  however,  I  can  say,  and  that  is,  I  am  not  blind  to  my  trans 
gressions  ;  they  are,  indeed,  ever  before  my  eyes.  But  some  how  or 
other,  the  great  American  figure  of  speech  has  become  a  part*  of  my  na 
ture  ;  so  much  so,  that  the  only  use  which  I  make  of  the  present,  is  to 
live  in  the  future.  I  am  always  going  to  do.  The  review  of  Dr.  Hodge 
is  still  in  posse.  I  am  ashamed  to  say  that  I  have  never  yet  finished 
reading  the  document.  I  had  to  take  it  in  broken  doses,  and  the  last 
has  not  been  reached  yet.  But,  by  the  way,  I  am  inclined  to  forgive 
Dr.  Hodge  for  all  his  sins  against  Presbyterianism,  on  account  of  the 
able  and  satisfactory  review  of  Sir  William  Hamilton,  in  the  last  Reper 
tory.  Upon  internal  grounds,  I  should  be  inclined  to  ascribe  the  article 
to  Tyler,  of  Frederick  City ;  but  I  have  heard  nothing  as  to  its  author 
ship.  No  matter  who  wrote  it,  it  is  well  done. 

"Your  Critic  has  been  excellently  sustained.  It  is  the  best  paper  in 
the  Church  ;  more  manly  and  independent  than  any  other.  I  must  try 
and  write  something  for  you  in  the  future.  The  same  notion  has  flitted 
before  my  mind  in  regard  to  our  Review,  which  has  become  so  poor, 
that  I  am  ashamed  to  see  it.  I  wish  somebody  would  invent  an  instru 
ment  for  daguerreotyping  thought,  without  the  trouble  of  writing.  If 
your  ideas  could  be  instantly  transferred  from  your  mind  to  the  paper, 
without  any  effort  on  your  part,  what  a  blessed  consummation  it  would 
be! 

"The  time  is  drawing  near  for  my  removal;  and. in  anticipation  of 
the  event,  as  the  merchants  say,  I  have  been  taking  stock.  But  to  my 
infinite  horror,  I  found  the  shelves  either  all  empty,  or  filled  with  -no 
thing  but  old  rat-eaten  articles,  that  are  not  worth  transporting.  I  un 
derstand  your  mother  is  in  Paradise.  She  has  just  got  where  she  can 
hear  something  that  is  fit  to  be  called  preaching.  All  I  have  to  say  is, 
that  if  she  never  heard  a  sermon  until  she  went  to  Baltimore,  she  ought 
to  hear  very  rare  ones  now,  to  make  up  for  lost  time.  I  hope  she  does 
with  you  what  she  never  could  do  with  me,  remember  the  text.  Give 


CLObE  OF  HIS  PRESIDENCY.  389 

our  kindest  remembrances  to  her.     We  all  want  to  see  her.     Excuse 
this  hasty  note  ;  and  believe  me, 

"As  ever,  most  faithfully, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

The  authorship  of  the  article  on  Sir  William  Hamilton, 
above  referred  to,  was  soon  definitely  ascertained  in  a 
pleasant  note,  which  is  without  date,  and  which  we  trans 
cribe,  as  showing  the  esteem  in  which  one  great  thinker 
is  able  to  hold  another: 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  Please  accept,  as  a  token  of  my  respect  for  you  as  a 
thinker,  the  copy — which  is  sent  with  this  note — of  an  article  on  Sir  W. 
Hamilton  and  his  Philosophy,  which  I  contributed  to  the  Princeton 
Review  for  this  month.  • 

"You  are  one  of  the  few  who  are  competent  to   appreciate  these 
higher  speculations.     I  prepared  the  article  in  the  midst  of  the  most 
arduous  labours  on  Law-reform,  as  well  as  in  my  profession.     I  there 
fore  crave  your  indulgence.  * 
"  Sincerely  yours, 

SAMUEL  TYLER." 

Dr.  Thornwell  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  of  1855, 
which  met  in  the  city  of  Nashville,  Tennessee.  It  was 
memorable  only  for  a  debate  on  the  subject  of  Boards, 
in  which  Dr.  Thornwell  was  conspicuous  as  their  oppo 
nent,  and  the  Rev.  Drs.  Boardman  and  Plumer  as  their 
advocates.  This  discussion  arose  upon  the  proposition 
to  separate  the  work  of  Church  extension,  or  the  erec 
tion  of  houses  of  worship,  from  the  Board  of  Domestic 
Missions,  and  to  place  it  under  independent  management. 
The  alternative  was  to  appoint  a  separate  committee,  or 
to  erect  another  Board  for  this  purpose.  The  opportu 
nity,  of  course,  could  not  be  missed  of  attacking  the  prin 
ciple  upon  which  all  these  Boards  were  constructed,  even 
though  the  opposition  amounted  to  nothing  in  the  result, 
but  to  record  a  protest  .against  the  established  policy  of 
the  Church.  This  necessity  cannot  always  be  avoided  in 
our  ecclesiastical  courts  ;  but  it  is  always  unfortunate 
when  questions  of  fundamental  principle  cannot  be  dis- 


390  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

cussed  simpliciter,witli  the  view  of  determining  abstractly 
the  modes  in  which  the  Church  shall  display  her  activity 
and  life.  In  this  case,  the  proposition  which  was  sub 
mitted  to  debate  assumed  the  policy  of  the  Church  to  be 
settled,  and  only  asked  for  its  extension  in  a  new  direc 
tion.  The  discussion  of  that  policy  itself  could  only  be 
incidentally  introduced,  and  a  satisfactory  vote,  which 
should  clearly  ascertain  the  mind  of  the  Church  in  refer 
ence  to  this,  could  not  possibly  be  reached.  The  result 
would  doubtless  have  been  much  the  same,  even  though 
the  abstract  issue  had  alone  been  made  ;  for  the  opponents 
of  the  Boards  were  doubtless  in  the  minority  in  the 
Church  at  large.  But  consistency  and  truth  required  the 
opposition,  although  it  was  unavailing.  In  the  course  of 
the  argument,  some  reflections  were  indulged  which  drew 
from  Dr.  Thorn  Well  a  beautiful  tribute  to  his  friend,  Dr. 
Breckinridge :  "  He  would  never  regard,  otherwise  than 
with  reverence  and  respect,  the  man  who  had  been  the 
author  of  the  Act  and  Testimony,  and  who  had,  under 
God,  been  the  means  of  our  deliverance."  He  had  occa 
sion  also  to  render  a  delicate  vindication  of  himself.  One 
of  the  speakers  had  associated  him  with  the  great  Cal- 
houn,  in  a  connexion  to  disparage  his  influence  as  a 
dreamer  and  a  theorist:  "I  listened,"  said  Dr.  Board- 
man,  "to  his  speech,  which  was  a  chain  polished  and 
bright,  as  to  the  beautiful  and  ingenious  speculations  of 
the  great  statesman  of  South  Carolina."  In  rejoinder, 
Dr.  Thornwell  indulged  in  a  lofty  panegyric  upon  the 
dead  statesman ;  but  proceeded  to  say  that,  in  all  his  great 
political  views,  he  had  been  constrained  to  differ  from  him. 
"As  to  one  thing,  however,  I  am  glad :  I  am  glad  to  be 
called  an  abstractionist.  The  abstractionist  stands  upon 
principle;  and  it  was  one  of  the  most  eloquent  passages  of 
that  great  man's  life,  worthy  of  a  great  statesman,  worthy 
of  Calhoun  himself,  when  he  defended  himself  as  an  ab 
stractionist.  I  cannot  be  frightened  by  epithets.  I  have 
but  one  single  rule,  which  is  to  preserve  a  conscience  void 


CLOSE  OF  HIS  PRESIDENCY.  ttUl 

of  offence  towards  God  and  towards  man,  and  to  abide 
strictly  by  the  principles  of  the  Word  of  God." 

It  is  not  proper  to  close  Dr.  Thornwell's  connexion  with 
the  South  Carolina  College,  without  bringing  into  promi 
nence  the  wonderful  ascendency  which  he  had  acquired 
over  the  students.  Ten  years  before,  the  Hon.  W.  C. 
Preston  volunteered  the  testimony  to  the  writer,  that  his 
moral  power  in  the  College  was  superior  even  to  the  au 
thority  of  the  law;  and  the  only  criticism  ever  ventured 
upon  him,  as  a  disciplinarian,  was  precisely  this  substi 
tution  of  a  personal  influence,  instead  of  the  pressure  of 
mere  legal  obligation.  Yet,  how  could  it  be  helped,  if,  by 
the  force  of  personal  character,  he  moulded  the  opinions 
and  shaped  the  conduct  of  the  students,  so  that  they  had 
no  need  to  consider  the  stern  authority  with  which  the 
laws  of  the  College  invested  him  ?  Certainly  it  was  never 
true  that  he  failed  to  uphold  their  supremacy ;  but  his  un 
failing  method  was  so  to  impress  convictions  of  duty  upon 
the  conscience,  as  to  render  the  obedience  spontaneous, 
rather  than  enforced.  With  each  generation,  as  it  passed 
under  his  hands,  there  was  a  quiet  formation  of  character, 
and  honourable  principles  were  adopted  which  were  a  law 
of  themselves,  and  spared  the  necessity  of  hard  collision 
with  mere  external  authority.  Surely,  this  is  the  per 
fection  of  discipline,  when,  under  "  the  law  of  liberty," 
obedience  is  rendered  from  a  sense  of  right ;  and  the  con- 

o  ' 

trol  under  which  the  student  is  held  becomes  an  element 
in  his  moral  education,  the  matrix  in  which  the  permanent 
character  is  moulded. 

Dr.  Thorn  well  possessed  a  great  advantage,  in  the  vast 
reputation  he  enjoyed  as  a  man  of  genius.  The  only 
aristocracy  in  College  is  that  of  mind.  It  is,  perhaps,  the 
only  community  on  earth  in  which  the  artificial  distinc 
tions  in  life  entirely  disappear.  Brought  together  for  the 
single  purpose  of  acquiring  knowledge,  the  sole  measure 
by  whicli  all  are  tried  is  talent.  Next  to  those  instincts 
which  constitute  the  gentleman,  comes  the  degree  of  in- 


392  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOBNWELL. 

tellect  which  may  be  possessed ;  and  the  instances  are  not 
rare,  both  with  professors  and  with  students,  that  men, 
otherwise  unpopular,  are  sustained  through  the  reputation 
for  learning  and  genius  which  has  been  acquired.  In 
the  case  before  us,  the  fact  was  indisputable.  All  men 
throughout  the  State  conceded  to  Dr.  Thornwell  this  rare 
endowment ;  and  to  the  students  he  was  a  crown  of  glory ; 
they  rejoiced  in  him  as  the  ornament  and  pride  of  the 
institution,  and  felt  as  though  a  portion  of  his  honour  was 
reflected  upon  each  of  them.  His  reputation  was  a  ped 
estal  upon  which  he  stood  as  an  idol  before  their  eyes. 

The  office  which  he  held  as  a  preacher  of  the  gospel, 
was  also  of  inestimable  service  in  securing  to  him  this 
paramount  influence  over  the  students.  In  the  class-room 
he  expounded  the  principles  of  moral  philosophy,  and 
then  ascended  the  pulpit  to  enforce  the  sanctions  of  the 
Divine  law.  And  perhaps  tlie  combined  positions  were 
never  used  with  greater  efficiency  in  dealing  with  the 
human  conscience.  In  the  one  case,  he  laid  bare  the 
grounds  of  moral  obligation,  as  these  are  implicitly  (Con 
tained  in  the  nature  of  man ;  in  the  other,  he  stood  outside 
of  that  nature,  as  the  representative  of  the  Divine  autho 
rity,  before  whose  supremacy  the  conscience  of  the  crea 
ture  is  compelled  instinctively  to  bow.  It  requires  the 
skill  of  a  master  to  wield  the  two  in  their  harmonious  co 
operation  ;  but,  with  him,  the  eloquence — which  has  been 
denned  to  be  "logic  on  fire" — enforced  the  deductions  of 
philosophy  with  all  the  terrors  of  the  final  judgment,  and 
gave  to  him  that  control  which  belongs  only  to  one  who 
has  made  himself  master  of  the  consciences  of  men. 

Dr.  Thornwell,  moreover,  commanded  the  love  of  young 
men  by  the  fulness  of  his  sympathy  in  their  struggles 
with  temptations  and  defeats,  in  their  aspirations,  their 
hopes,  their  joys.  His  disposition  was  thoroughly  genial 
and  affectionate.  He  never  wrapped  himself  in  the  arti 
ficial  dignity  which  repels  approach  by  exacting  an  horn-* 
age  scarcely  consistent  with  another's  self-respect.  The 


CLOSE  OF  HIS  PRESIDENCY.  393 

perfect  simplicity  of  his  character  was  reflected  in  the 
easiness  of  his  carriage ;  and  the  generosity  of  the  youth 
ful  heart  gave  to  him  an  exuberance  of  respect,  the  more 
sincere  because  it  was  unchallenged  and  free. 

But  the  great  secret  of  his  marvellous  power,  as  a  Col 
lege  officer,  lay  in  the  strong  conviction  he  produced  of 
his  own  honesty  and  fairness.  It  seems  a  small  thing  to 
say  of  any  man,  that  he  is  truthful;  but  no  attribute 
begets  such  confidence  as  this,  when  it  is  recognized  as  a 
pre-eminent  trait  in  the  character.  No  one  ever  accused 
Dr.  Thornwell  of  duplicity  in -any  of  the  relations  of  life. 
He  never  resorted  to  indirections  to  accomplish  his  pur 
poses.  If  he  could  not  achieve  success  by  fair  and  open 
argument,  he  submitted  to  defeat.  He  inspired  the  young 
students  with  unbounded  confidence  in  his  honesty ;  and 
the  most  reckless  among  them,  when  brought  into  straits 
by  their  indiscretions,  would  lay  their  case  in  his  hands 
with  a  perfect  assurance  that  nothing  would  be  allowed 
but  what  was  proper  and  right.  They  knew  him  to  be 
incapable  of  favouritism  or  double-dealing;  and  that  his 
moral  perceptions  were  so  clear,  that  he  could  not  easily 
be  deceived.  With  College  students — who,  when  wrong, 
are  generally  the  victims  of  their  own  sophistries — he  was 
regarded  as  an  umpire ;  and  his  decision,  supported  by 
the  reasons  he  was  always  able  to  advance,  were  generally 
accepted  as  final  upon  all  questions  of  propriety.  Cou 
pled  with  this  high  moral  attribute,  Dr.  Thorn  well's  mind 
worked  with  amazing  rapidity  through  the  perplexities 
of  a  case,  and  seized  at  once  the  real  issue  upon  which  it- 
should  turn.  This  was  due  to  the  logical  structure  of  his 
mind,  and  to  the  habit  he  had  cultivated  of  carrying  that 
logic  into  all  the  practical  duties  of  life.  It  rendered  him 
invaluable  as  a  counsellor,  and  equally  efficient  as  a  dis 
ciplinarian.  • 

Three  instances  will  be  given  of  these  qualities  in  actual 
.exercise,  which  will  serve  also  to  illustrate  the  nature  and 
extent  of  the  moral  power  which  he  wielded.  Tho  first 


394  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

rests  upon  the  authority  of  the  gentleman  who  acted  as- 
secretary  of  the  meeting ;  the  second,  upon  the  writer'^ 
own  recollections  of  the  incident,  when  it  occurred;  and 
the  third,  upon  the  testimony  of  one  who  was  a  par 
ticipator  in  the  scene. 

Two  young  gentlemen,  upon  their  application  to  enter 
College,  were  found  deficient  in  one  or  two  departments 
of  study ;  but  were  admitted  conditionally,  upon  the  pro 
mise  to  make  these  up  within  a  specified  time.  Upon  re- 
examination,  they  were  found  even  more  delinquent  than 
at  first.  The  Professor  in  these  studies  was  naturally  in 
dignant,  and  insisted  at  a  meeting  of  the  Faculty  upon 
their  immediate  dismission.  A  warm  discussion  ensued,, 
in  which  there  was  a  general  concurrence  in  the  opinion 
that  some  punishment,  at.  least  suspension  for  a  month,, 
should  be  meted  out  to  the  culprits.  Dr.  Thorn  well,, 
meanwhile,  was  walking  around  the  room,  looking  ab 
stractedly  at  the  books  upon  the  shelves,  with  no  apparent 
interest  in  the  matter.  At  last,  his  opinion  was  chal 
lenged  by  the  presiding  officer,  when  he  came  forward 
with  a  simple  syllogism,  and  cut  the  problem  in  two : 
"  These  young  gentlemen  were  admitted  on  a  certain  con 
dition  ;  this  condition  has  not  been  fulfilled;  consequently 
they  are  not  members  of  the  College.  You  cannot  expel 
or  suspend  them,  without  recognizing  them  as  members. 
As  a  matter  of  grace,  I  propose  that  we  give  them  another 
month;  at  which  time,  if  the  deficiency  is  not  made  up, 
they  may  be  told  they  are  not  admitted."  It  is  only  one 
instance  out  of  many,  in  which,  while  others  were  talking 
round  and  round  a  subject  until  it  was  in  a  perfect  tangle, 
he  would,  in  his  incisive  way,  cut  down  to  the  point  which 
all  had  missed,  and  settle  the  case  almost  with  a  word. 

Upon  one  occasion,  some  strolling  minstrels  had  an 
exhibition  i^n.  the  town,  during  which  some  indecorum 
among  the  audience  drew  forth  a  sharp  rebuke  from  the 
performers.  It  was  unfortunately  levelled  at  some  students,, 
who  claimed  to  be  innocent  of  the  offence.  The  result 


CLOSE  OF  HIS  PRESIDENCY.  395 

was  a  row,  in  which  the  meeting  was  broken  up  in  great 
disorder.  In  the  progress  of  the  affair,  the  students  be 
came  arrayed  against  the  young  men  of  the  town,  and 
very  soon  a  serious  riot  was  threatened  in  the  public 
streets.  The  students  rallied  to  a  man,  like  an  old  Scotch 
clan  in  the  times  of  border  warfare,  and  could  not  be 
persuaded  to  disperse  by  those  who  harangued  the  tem 
pestuous  assembly.  Df.  Thornwell  appeared  late  upon 
the  ground,  and  when  the  storm  was  at  its  height.  With 
out  wasting  breath  upon  men  who  were  delirious  with 
passion,  he  sought  out  the  parties  originally  aggrieved ; 
ascended  into  the  hall  with  them,  confronted  the  other 
party  from  whom  the  alleged  grievance  came;  heard  both 
sides  of  the  story,  and  made  up  his  mind  quickly  upon  the 
merits  of  the  case.  He  satisfied  the  minstrels  that  they 
had  been  mistaken  as  to  the  real  authors  of  the  outrage, 
and  exacted  of  them  a  promise  to  repair  the  error  by 
coming  the  next  day  into  the  College  Chapel,  with  a  for 
mal  retraction  of  the  charge.  He  then  descended  to  the 
street,  and  simply  informed  the  infuriated  students  that 
the  case  was  amicably  settled,  and  would  be  reported  to 
them  on  the  morrow.  This  simple  affirmation  from  one 
in  whose  honour  they  implicity  confided,  appeased  the 
storm,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  street  was  as  quiet  as  a 
church  yard.  On  the  next  day,  the  public  apology  was 
made  in  the  College  Chapel,  and  the  affair  was  ended. 
The  reader  does  not  need  to  have  pointed  out  to  him  the 
tact  displayed  in  the  management  of  this  case,  nor  the 
absolute  repose  of  the  students  upon  his  veracity  and  in 
nate  sense  of  honour. 

The  case,  however,  now  to  be  recorded  was  a  far  more 
superb  illustration  of  the  majesty  of  his  sway  over  the 
students  of  the  College.  It  occurred  in  the  year  1856, 
after  his  relations  to  them  were  terminated.  One  or  two 
of  the  young  men,  in  a  night  frolic,  came  into  collision 
with  the  town  police,  one  being  finally  arrested  and  in 
carcerated.  This,  of  course,  brought  the  whole  College 


396  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

to  the  rescue,  who  succeeded  in  liberating  their  compan 
ion.  The  next  day  two  of  the  students  resolved  to  avenge 
the  insult  by  an  open  attack  upon  the  offending  police 
man,  and  in  a  short  time  -the  town  was  in  commotion. 
The  students  rushed  to  the  scene  of  conflict,  with  such 
arms  as  they  could  extemporize.  The  alarm-bell  was 
rung,  and  the  militia  called  out  to  oppose  them.  The 
two  parties  were  drawn  up  in  array,  as  in  regular  battle; 
and  a  single  pistol  shot  would  have  been  the  signal  for 
a  massacre,  that  would  have  carried  mourning  into  the 
best  families  of  the  State,  and  stained  the  soil  of  Colum 
bia  with  the  blood  of  the  proudest  sons  of  the  Common 
wealth.  Gentlemen  of  the  highest  character  stood  and 
walked  between  the  combatants,  vainly  entreating  the 
students  to  retire  from  the  conflict.  In  the  exigency,  a 
runner  was  despatched  for  Dr.  Thornwell,  who  was  at 
the  moment  lecturing  to  his  class  in  the  Theological 
Seminary.  Moving  rapidly  between  the  contending 
ranks,  he  addressed  the  students  in  substance  thus:  "I 
know  nothing  of  the  origin  of  this  trouble,  and  this  is  no 
place  to  make  the  inquiry.  Come  back  with  me  to  the 
campus ;  and  if  I  find  you  are  in  the  right,  and  there  be 
no  redress  but  in  fighting,  I  will  lead  you  myself,  and  die 
in  the  midst  of  yon."  Turning  upon  his  heel,  and  shout 
ing,  " College!  College!"  he  walked  in  the  direction  of 
the  campus,  followed  by  the  entire  body.  After  getting 
them  in  the  chapel,  he  addressed  them  at  length,  repre 
senting  the  impropriety  of  such  riotous  demonstrations ; 
and  appealing  to  their  magnanimity  not  to  bring  a  stain 
upon  the  escutcheon  of  the  College,  which  would  make 
the  State  blush  that  she;had  created  it.  The  aroused 
passions  were  by  these  appeals  finally  calmed  down,  and 
peace  wras  fully  restored.  It  is  not  at  all  unsafe  to  say,  that 
he  was  the  only  man  in  South  Carolina  who  could  have 
achieved  that  thing.  The  cry  throughout  the  town  was 
for  days  afterwards,  "Wonderful  man!  But  for  him, 
our  town  would  have  been  stained  with  a  crime  which 
would  have  made  it  the  horror  of  the  State." 


•CHAPTEK    XXVIII. 
EDITORSHIP  OF  "SOUTHERN  QUARTERLY  REVIEW." 

LEAVES  THE  COLLEGE. —BECOMES  PBOFESSOK  IN  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMI 
NARY. — ASSUMES  THE  EDITORSHIP  or  THE  "SOUTHERN  QUARTERLY  RE- 
YIEW." — CORRESPONDENCE  IN  RELATION  TO  IT. — His  ARTICLE  ON  MIRA 
CLES. — FRIENDLY  CRITICISM  OF  IT. — His  REJOINDER — DEATH  OF  HIS 
MOTHER,  AND  OF  HIS  SON. — OPINION  OF  HAMILTON'S  LOGIC. — DISTINC 
TION  OF  THE  ABSOLUTE  AND  INFINITE. — DEFENCE  OF  DUGALD  STEWART, 
AND  OF  THE  SCOTCH  PHILOSOPHY. — ESTIMATE  OF  SlR  W.  HAMILTON. — 
DECLINE  OF  THE  REVIEW. 

THE  election  of  Professor  C.  F.  McCay,  on  the  fourth 
of  December,  1855,  as  his  successor,  released  Dr. 
Thornwell  from  the  Presidency  of  the  College;  and  he 
entered  at  once  upon  his  duties  as  Professor  of  Didactic 
and  Polemic  Theology,  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
Columbia,  South  Carolina.  In  connexion  with  this  great 
work,  he  assumed  new  and  heavy  responsibilities  by  un 
dertaking  the  editorial  supervision  of  the  Southern  Quar 
terly  Review.  This  valuable  journal  had,  in  former  days, 
under  the  conduct  of  such  men  as  Legare,  Harper,  Elliott, 
and  others,  taken  the  first  rank  among  the  periodicals  of 
the  country.  Through  insufficient  patronage,  it  preserved 
an  intermittent  existence,  sometimes  suspended,  and  then 
revived;  until  now,  sanguine  hopes  were  cherished  that, 
under  the  prestige  of  his  name,  it  would  rise  speedily  to 
its  ancient  renown,  and  command  a  more  honourable  sup 
port.  He  entered  upon  the  task  with  energy  and  enthu 
siasm.  Letters  from  such  men  as  the  Hon.  Edward 
Everett,  George  Bancroft,  Samuel  Tyler,  of  Maryland; 
George  F.  Holmes,  of  the  Virginia  University;  Bishop 
Elliott,  of  Georgia,  President  F.  A.  P.  Barnard,  of  the 
Mississippi  University,  and  many  others,  attest  the  kind 

397 


398  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

of  talent  he  sought  to  secure  to  the  enterprise.  The  pro 
mise  of  co-operation  from  most  of  these,  warranted  expec 
tations  of  success,  which  were  doomed  to  be  blasted  by 
the  indifference  of  the  public,  who  suffered  it,  after  a 
brilliant  career  of  less  than  two  years,  to  perish,  from  the 
want  of  means  to  sustain  it. 

Dr.  Thornwell's  connexion  with  it  during  that  period 
enables  us  to  enrich  these  pages  with  a  correspondence, 
which  the  reader  cannot  fail  to  peruse  with  delight.  It 
opens  with  the  following  note,  which  unfolds  his  plan : 

"  COLUMBIA,  January  8,  1856. 
"  GEORGE  F.  HOLMES,  ESQ.  : 

"  DEAR  SIR  :  A  publishing  house  in  this  city  proposes  to  purchase  the 
Southern  Quarterly  Review,  provided  I  will  undertake  the  editorial  su 
pervision  of  it.  Two  conditions  I  have  insisted  on'  as  indispensable. 
The  first  is,  that  I  shall  be  put  in  a  condition  to  pay  promptly,  at  not 
less  than  three  dollars  a  page,  for  every  article  furnished  and  accepted. 
The  second  is,  that  I  can  obtain  the  promise  of  men  whom  I  know  to  be 
able  to  write  well,  to  become  regular  contributors.  My  design  in  ad 
dressing  .this  note  to  you  is  simply  to  inquire  whether  I  may  rely  upon 
your  co-operation  in  case  the  proposed  arrangement  should  be  made.  If 
the  Review  cannot  be  made  a  first  rate  journal,  we  had  better  let  it 
linger  out  and  die.  But  there  are  talents  and  learning  enough  in  the 
country  to  make  it  equal  to  any  other  periodical  in  the  Union.  If  our 
means  should  justify  it,  I  will  give  five  dollars  a  page ;  but  for  the  pre 
sent,  I  cannot  promise  more  than  three.  Let  me  hear  from  you  at  once, 
as  my  answer  will  depend  upon  the  answers  given  by  those  to  whom  I 
have  applied. 

"Very  respectfully, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

To  the  same : 

"  COLUMBIA,  June  17,  1856. 

' '  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  owe  you  an  apology  for  not  having  written  to  you 
sooner,  but  I  have  been  very  much  engrossed  by  a  severe  and  protracted 
case  of  fever  in  my  family.  *  *  *  I  am  happy  to  say  that  your 
article  on  '  Slavery  and  Freedom '  has  given  great  satisfaction ;  and  you 
will  draw  on  E.  H.  Britton  for  ninety-seven  and  a  half  dollars,  which, 
I  assure  you,  I  consider  a  poor  compensation  for  such  an  essay.  Your 
other  article,  '  Greek  in  the  Middle  Ages,'  is  in  press.  I  gave  it  to  the 
printer  without  reading  it,  as  your  name  was  a  sufficient  security  for  its 
quality.  I  wish  I  could  say  the  same  of  all  my  contributors.  I  have  a 
drawer  full  of  essays,  which  the  kindness  of  friends  has  sent  to  me,  but 


EDITOKSHIP  OF  SOUTHERN  QUARTERLY  REVIEW.         399 

which  no  blindness  of  friendship  can  induce  rue  to  accept.  The  ueces- 
city  of  giving  pain  to  others,  and  to  persons  whom  I  highly  esteem,  is 
itself  a  great  pain  to  me  :  afjupolv  fOip  ^iXoiU  OVTOW  OffiOU  TTfiOT  tfJiillJ 


'  '  I  see  that  your  friends  are  pressing  your  claims  upon  the  Virginia 
University  ;  and  I  was  glad  to  find  that  the  Presbyterians  have  espoused 
your  cause  so  warmly.  The  article  in  the  Central  Presbyterian  must 
have  been  gratifying  to  you.  If  I  can  serve  you  in  any  way,  do  not 
hesitate  to  command  my  efforts.  *  *  *  * 

*  '  With  high  esteem,  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

To  the  same: 

"THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  July  30,  1856.* 

"  DEAB  SIB  :  I  received  your  kind  letter  a  week  or  two  ago  ;  and  am 
happy  to  say  that  my  little  boy,  who  was  ill  for  so  long  a  time,  has 
quite  recovered.  The  Review  will  be  out  in  a  week  ;  we  have  only 
thirty  or  forty  pages  to  print.  My  absence  at  the  General  Assembly, 
and  the  condition  of  my  family,  on  my  return,  prevented  me  from  pre 
paring  an  article  on  Terrier's  Institutes  of  Metaphysics,'  which  I  had 
been  meditating,  and  had  partially  executed.  I  have  written,  however, 
an  elaborate  essay  on  Miracles,  in  opposition  to  the  prevailing  tone  of 
speculation  imported  from  Germany  on  that  whole  subject.  The  article 
wants  finish  ;  but  the  doctrine  is  sound,  and,  I  think,  seasonable.  The 
contents  are  more  miscellaneous  than  in  the  last  number.  *  *  *  * 
"  Can  you  select  any  one  to  whom  I  can  entrust  the  task  of  reviewing 
Motley's  *  Rise  of  the  Dutch  Republic  ?'  Bating  a  few  eccentricities  of 
language,  it  has  struck  me  as  one  of  the  noblest  works  that  has  issued 
from  the  American  press.  It  is  conceived  in  the  true  American  spirit, 
and  executed  with  great  artistic  skill.  If  you  will  either  write  yourself, 
or  procure  from  one  who  is  able  to  do  justice  to  the  subject,  a  suitable 
article,  you  will  do  what  I  am  sure  the  country  will  regard  as  a  good 
work.  *  *  * 

"Very  truly  yours, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

From  Mr.  Holmes  to  Dr.  Thorn  well  : 


"BURK'S  GABDEN,  TAZEWELL  COUNTY,  VA.,  August  8,  1856. 
"DEAR  SIB:  By  yesterday's  mail  I  wrote  to  you,  and  sent  an  article 
on  '  Speculation  and  Trade.'  My  messenger  brought  back  your  obliging 
letter  of  July  30th,  which  requires  an  immediate  acknowledgment.  I 
ordered  from  New  York  the  twelfth  volume  of  Grote,  and  thus  learnt 
that  it  had  not  been  re-published.  I  will  finish  my  article  without  it, 
by  the  1st  of  September.  Is  there  any  sufficient  assurance  that  the 


4:00  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

twelfth  volume  is,  or  will  be,  the  last  ?  '  Speculation  and  Trade'  may 
wait  patiently  for  once. 

"Your  Essay  on  Ferrier's  Institutes  would  have  been  very  welcome. 
For  my  own  encouragement,  I  trust  your  judgment  is  against  it.  I 
find  in  the  book  the  appearance,  without  the  substance,  of  demonstra 
tion;  neoterisms  in  expression,  rather  than  novelty  of  idea;  and  an 
irresistible  tendency  to  a,  low  grade  of  Pantheism,  or  its  opposite  and 
twin  extreme,  Panhumanism.  I  am  no  admirer  of  the  rebels  in  Scot 
land  against  Sir  William  Hamilton. 

"  I  learned  accidently  from  Mr.  Tyler,  that  an  essay  on  this  last  and 
late  philosopher  might  be  expected  in  your  Review.  I  infer,  and  hope, 
that  it  will  be  from  your  own  pen.  I  should  be  anxious  to  see  the  keen 
scrutiny  of  your  logic  applied  to  his  doctrine.  I  have  been  asked  to 
write  an  essay  on  the  subject  for  the  New  York  Methodist  Quarterly. 
Your  letter  and  its  indications  are  full  of  interest.  Your  exposition  of  the 
question  of  miracles  will  be  very  acceptable  at  this  time,  as  a  confirmation 
of  the  understanding  of  believers,  as  an  illumination  of  unsettled  minds, 
and  as  a  refutation  of  the  premises  of  current  infidelity.  I  recently  ex 
amined  this  important  dogma  with  much  care  and  solicitude. 

"  Thank  you  for  the  information  in  regard  to  the  criticism  of  -  , 
and  the  course  you  thought  proper  to  adopt.  There  should  certainly  be 
concord,  if  not  absolute  harmony,  in  the  pages  of  the  Review.  I  have  no 
fear  for  the  validity  of  my  conclusions.  I  believe  in  political  economy 
as  the  restricted  theory  of  aggregate  wealth  ;  I  do  not  accept  it  as  the 
complete  science  of  society.  In  this  pretension,  I  regard  it  as  the  Muses 
of  Plocheirus  regarded  the  worldly-wise  man  : 


f/  Q  X 

rrfi  ft  dpsrrjz  Trp  3o£av  dud"  ofaoz  <pdecc* 
s  fisduffae  ry 


"Sincerely  yours, 

GEORGE  FEEDK.  HOLMES." 


From  the  same : 


"  BUEK'S  GARDEN,  TAZEWELL  COUNTY,  VA.,  August  25,  1856. 
"  DEAE  SIR  :  Last  mail  brought  me  the  August  number  of  the  Southern 
Quarterly.  I  have  had  time  to  read  over  only  one  of  the  articles,  that 
on  Miracles.  By  it  I  have  heen  equally  instructed  and  delighted.  The 
general  argument  is  irresistible,  and  establishes,  with  a  rigid  logical 
coherence,  the  important  fact  that  miracles  cannot  be  discredited,  without 
destroying  the  sufficiency  of  all  testimony,  and  the  validity  of  all  know- 


"  On  one  or  two  points  I  venture  to  dissent  from  you,  even  after  care 
fully  studying  your  essay.     The  dissent,  however,  I  am  aware  is  more 


EDITORSHIP  OF  6OUTHKKX  grARTKKLY  REVIEW.         401 

apparent  than  real.  I  cannot  regard  a  miracle  as  a  violation  of  the  laws 
of  nature,  but  only  as  a  violation  of  the  customary  laws  ;  or,  more 
properly,  a  suspension  of  the  ordinary  and  familiar  laws,'  by  the  interven 
tion  of  superior  laws,  or  of  the  supreme  Fountain  of  all  law.  This  pro 
vides  for  real  miracles  of  two  sorts,  by  direct  action,  and  delegated 
power ;  and  relative  miracles  of  two  kinds,  produced  by  super-human 
knowledge,  and  superior  human  knowledge.  I  hold  to  the  position  of 
S.  Augustine,  quoted  by  S.  Thomas  Aquinas,  in  continuation  of  your 
extract  from  Suinma  I.  Qu.  CV,  Art.  VI :  "  Deus  contra  solitum  cursum 
naturse  facit  ;  sed  coutra^ummam  legem  nullo  modo  facit,  quia  contra 
eeipsTim  non  facit."  Though  S.  Thomas  Aquinas  is  as  indistinct  on  the 
subject  of  miracles  as  on  election  and  predestination,  this  appears  to  be 
his  own  conclusion,  from  his  quotation  from  S.  Augustine,  and  from  the 
conclusion  of  his  reply  to  the  first  objection  alleged  in  this  article  of  his 
treatise  :  "  Cum  igitur  naturae  ordo  sit  a  Deo  rebus  inditus,  si  quid  praeter 
hunc  ordinem  faciat,  non  est  contra  naturam.  Unde  Augustinus  dicit, 
loc  cit,  quod  id  est  cuilibet  naturale  quod  ille  fecerit  a  quo  est  omnis  mo 
dus,  numerus  et  ordo  naturae. "  This  doctrine  is  also  corroborated  by  the 
language  and  illustration  employed  in  Summa  I,  Qu.  XXII,  Art.  I. 

"My  apparent  dissent  from  you  on  this  point  turns,  as  the  tenor  of 
your  remarks  show  that  you  perceive,  on  the  latitude  assigned  to  the 
meaning  of  '  nature.'  You  consider  it  unwarrantable  to  extend  its  signifi 
cation  beyond  its  ordinary  employment.  Do  you  remember  the  chapter 
of  Aristotle's  Metaphysics  on  the  ambiguities  of  this  term,  and  the  com 
mentary  of  Alexander  Aphrodisiensis  on  that  chapter?  Under  the  term, 
'nature,'  may  be  included,  I  think,  the  whole  economy  of  the  created 
universe,  or  any  complete  sub-division  of  that  total.  Only  a  portion  of 
this  economy  is  apprehensible,  and  a  much  smaller  portion  ordinarily 
apprehended  by  men.  To  this  limited  part  the  designation  of  nature  is, 
by  a  convenient  restriction,  usually  applied.  But  it  implies  the  larger 
sense,  which  seems  the  more  correct,  because  logically  the  more  complete 
and  precise,  if  only  one  significance  is  to  be  received. 

"Pardon  me  for  hazarding  these  remarks.  I  acquiesce  cordially  in 
the  aim,  and  I  believe  in  the  general  purport  of  your  argument ;  and 
venture  to  call  your  attention  to  this  topic,  because  I  deem  the  recogni 
tion  of  a  miracle,  as  a  violation  of  nature,  an  important  concession  to 
the  polemics  of  Hume.  I  say  nothing  of  other  differences,  which  are 
trivial,  and  would  probably  disappear  on  comparison  of  the  precise 
views  entertained.  They  do  not  impair  my  cordial  agreement  with  your 
happily-timed,  conclusive,  and  most  serviceable  argument,  which  is 
directed  against  the  centre  of  modern  rationalism,  and  offers  the  sole 
chance  of  a  solid  reputation  of  Strauss. 

"You  have  assigned  a  most  honourable  position  to  my  essay  on 
4  Greek  in  the  Middle  Ages,'  which  it  did  not  deserve,  in  company  with 
yours  on  '  Miracles.'  I  wish  mine  had  been  on  a  more  popular  subject, 
or  cast  in  a  more  popular  form.  *****  I  ascribe  to  you  the  article 
on  Plato's  Phoedon,  in  consequence  of  the  partiality  avowed  for  Aris- 


402  LIFE  OF  JAMES   HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

totle.     You  are  the  only  peripatetic  known  to  me  in  this  country.     I 
incline,  rather  than  pretend  to  belong,  to  that  school. 
"  With  high  respect  and  regard, 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

GEO.  FKEI}K.  HOLMES." 

Reply  from  Dr.  Thornwell : 

"  COLUMBIA,  September  8,  1856. 

"MY  DEAR  SIR:  I  returned  from  the  up-country  about  three  weeks 
ago,  and  have  since  been  engaged,  night  and  day,  in  waiting  upon  my 
mother,  who  appeared  to  be  approaching  her  end.  Her  disease  has, 
however,  taken  a  favourable  turn,  and  I  have  resumed  my  studies  and 
my  ordinary  cares.  Your  letters  have  given  me  great  satisfaction  ;  and 
I  am  especially  obliged  to  you  for  your  friendly  and  ingenious  criticisms 
of  my  article  on  'Miracles.'  I  am  sorry  that  I  did  not  elaborate  the 
point  in  relation  to  nature  a  little  more.  The  argument  would  have 
gained  in  clearness,  and,  I  think,  you  would  have  found  that  your  objec 
tion  was  obviated.  The  word  is  used  in  none  of  the  senses  signalized 
by  Aristotle ;  but  as  a  compendious  expression  for  the  whole  created 
universe,  considered  as  a  definite  constitution,  as  made  up  of  properties 
and  powers  which  opwate  in  a  fixed  and  regular  manner.  The  domain 
of  nature  is,  accordingly,  the  domain  of  law.  Now,  my  notion  is,  that 
from  no  properties  and  laws  of  the  existing  order  of  things,  could  the 
miracle  ever  result.  It  is  an  order  of  events  of  a  different  character ;  it 
belongs  to  a  distinct  sphere,  though  bearing  upon  the  same  ultimate 
moral  end.  In  nature,  the  power  of  God  is  always  mediately  exerted ; 
in  the  miracle,  immediately.  In  nature,  the  agents— that  is,  the  direct 
agents — are  the  properties  and  powers  of  substances,  or  the  creatures 
that  God  has  made  ;  in  the  miracle,  He  is  the  sole  agent  Himself.  If 
nature,  however,  should  be  taken  to  mean  God's  plan,  or  the  Divine 
idea  of  the  universe  in  all  phenomena  and  events,  then  the  miracle  is 
natural,  in  the  sense  that  it  is  necessarily  included  in  the  plan.  It  is  a 
part  of  the  original  scheme  of  things.  Now,  it  is  only  in  this  sense,  I 
think,  that  Aquinas  admits  a  miracle  to  be  no  violation  of  nature.  It  is 
no  departure  from  the  Divine  plan.  It  is  not  an  after-thought,  suggested 
by  an  emergency.  It  was  always  contemplated  as  one  of  the  elements 
of  the  Divine  government.  These  hints  will  be  sufficient  to  indicate 
how  I  would  have  presented  the  point;  and  I  am  not  sure  but  that 
I  shall  not  develope  it  a  little  more  fully.  In  return  for  your  kind 
ness,  let  me  refer  you  to  '  Saurez  Disputat.  Metaphys.  Disput.  XV, 
Sect.  XI,  4,  for  an  acute  stricture  upon  the  senses  signalized  by 
Aristotle. 

"  I  do  not  know  in  what  terms  to  express  my  sense  of  the  value  of 
the  article  on  'Speculation  and  Trade.'  I  have  made  it  the  leader  in 
my  next  number,  which  will  be  really  a  very  fine  one.  I  have  already 


EDITORSHIP  OF  SOUTHERN  QUARTERLY  REVIEW.         403 

a  collection  of  choice  articles.     *     *     *     I  am  now  studying  Brandis' 
Aristotle,  having  not  had  the  opportunity  of  seeing  it  until  last  week. 
"  With  much  esteem, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

From  Mr.  Holmes  to  Dr.  Thorn  well : 

"BURK'S  GARDEN,  TAZEWELL  Co.,  VA.,  September  16,  1856. 

"KEY.  AND  DEAR  SIR:  By  last  mail  I  received  your  most  kind  and 
obliging  letter,  for  which  I  offer  you  my  most  cordial  thanks.  I  am 
truly  indebted  to  you  for  the  very  handsome  testimonial  enclosed  in  it. 
I  hope  in  some  future  day  to  merit  it  better  than  I  can  now  suppose 
myself  to  do.  Notwithstanding  the  previous  manifestations  of  your 
favourable  opinion,  I  have  been  surprised,  gratified,  and,  I  may  add, 
alarmed,  at  such  an  announcement  of  it.  Your  testimonial  arrives  in 
excellent  time  for  the  election  to  the  Professorship  of  History,  which 
will  take  place  on  the  2d  of  January.  This  is  to  me  much  the  more  de 
sirable  position,  comporting  directly,  as  it  does,  with  the  contemplated 
course  of  my  future  studies ;  and  there  seems  to  be  an  entire  unanimity 
amongst  my  friends  and  the  public  id  designating  me  by  preference  for 
that  position.  . 

"I  hear,  with  sympathizing  pleasure,  of  the  restoration  of  your  mo 
ther's  health.  It  is  with  difficulty  I  realize  the  fact  that  we  met  only 
once.  I  knew  the  acquaintance  to  be  very  limited ;  but  you  have  been 
so  long  familiar  to  my  thoughts,  so  long  the  object  of  my  sincere  respect 
and  admiration,  and  you  were  so  often  the  subject  of  conversation  with 
common  friends,  during  my  residence  in  South  Carolina,  that  it  had 
almost  escaped  my  recollection  that  we  Mad  only  met  and  parted  like 
ships  on  the  sea.  I  trust,  for  my  own  sake,  that  we  are  not  bound  for 
different  ports.  *  *  *  * 

"The  explanation  afforded  by  you  of  your  views  of  nature,  in  your 
essay  on  Miracles,  accords  with  what  I  deemed  to  be  very  probably 
your  meaning ;  and  enables  me  to  agree  freely  with  your  main  argu 
ment.  The  ground  of  disagreement  seems  to  me  the  same  as  that  which 
divided  Clarke  and  Leibnitz  on  the  subject,  in  their  celebrated  cor 
respondence  ;  and  that  appears  to  me  to  have  been  occasioned  by  the 
equivocation  of  terms,  and  the  absence  of  an  admitted  definition.  I 
find  myself  able  to  assent  substantially  to  the  views  of  both,  except  so 
far  as  the  doctrine  of  the  pre-established  harmony  is  involved.  I  agree 
with  Leibnitz  and  yourself :  '  Quand  Dieu  fait  des  miracles,  que  ce  n'est 
pas  pour  soutenir  les  besoins  de  la  nature,  mais  pour  ceux  de  la  gr&ce  ;' 
and  that,  in  one  sense,  *  le  surnaturel  surpasse  toutes  les  forces  des  crea 
tures.'  I  hold  with  Clarke,  (and  with  S.  Thomas  Aquinas,  and  your 
explanation  of  him,)  'il  est  certain  que  le  naturel  et  le  surnaturel  ue 
different  en  rien  (I  would  strike  out  en  rien)  1'un  de  1'autre'par  rapport 
a  Dieu :  ce  ne  sent  que  des  distinctions  selon  notre  maniere  de  conce- 


404:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

voir  les  choses.  Donner  un  mouvement  regie*  au  soleil  ou  k  la  terre, 
c'est  une  chose  que  nous  appelons  naturelle ;  arre'ter  ce  mouvement 
pendant  un  jour,  c'est  une  chose  surnaturelle  selon  nos  ide'e.  Mais  la 
derniere  de  ces  deux  choses  n'est  pas  1'effet  d'une  plus  grande  puissance 
que  1'autre ;  et  par  rapport  a  Dieu,  elles  sout  toutes  deux  e'galement 
(strike  out  e'galement)  naturelles  ou  surnaturelles. '  To  this  part  of  the 
discussion,  as  to  that  relative  to  different  orders  of  miracles,  is  appli 
cable  what  Leibnitz  remarks  relative  to  the  latter  topic:  'On  pourra 
dire  que  les  anges  font  des  miracles,  mais  moins  proprement  dits,  ou 
d'un  ordre  infdrieur.  Disputer  la-dessus  serait  une  question  de  nona. ' 
My  objection  to  '  en  rien'  and  '  e'galement'  are,  that,  in  ordinary  par 
lance,  consonant  with  the  view  ex  parte  humana,  there  is  a  wide  distinc 
tion  between  the  natural  and  the  supernatural ;  and  that  this  distinction 
ought  not  to  be  obliterated  in  attempting  to  contemplate  the  subject  ex 
parte  Dei;  because  the  ordinary  and  extraordinary  procedures  of  God 
are  logically  and  metaphysically  distinct,  although  they  may  be  termed, 
according  to  the  purpose  designed,  natural  or  supernatural,  or  both,  or 
neither. 

"This  explanation  will,  I  trust,  prove  my  virtual  agreement  with  your 
entire  argument.  If  I  remember  rightly,  the  allusion  made  by  me  to 
the  diversity  of  meaning  involved  in  the  term  'nature,'  as  signalized  by 
Aristotle,  was  introduced  without  reference  to  the  mode  in  which  you 
had  employed  the  term,  and  simply  as  a  compendious  illustration  of  its 
numerous  ambiguities.  Suarez  I  know  only  by  reputation.  He  has- 
always  been  inaccessible  to  me  ;  b,ut  I  think  I  have  seen  his  criticisms  on 
the  diverse  senses  assigned  to  nature  by  Aristotle.  You  speak  of  studying 
Brandis'  Aristotle.  Do  you  mean  the  edition  of  the  Berlin  Academy, 
edited  by  Bekker  and  Brandis,  in  four  volumes,  4to.  ?  or  the  separate 
edition  of  the  Metaphysics  and  their  scholia,  by  Brandis  alone  ?  If  the 
former,  can  you  tell  me  whether  the  fifth  volume,  containing  the  preface 
and  remaining  scholia,  has  ever  been  published  ?  If  the  latter,  are  the 
scholia  more  complete  than  in  the  entire  works  of  Bekker  and  Brandis  ? 
These  have  been  my  companions  for  more  than  fifteen  years.  The  more 
I  study  Aristotle,  the  less  necessity  do  I  discover  for  any  other  philo 
sophy  than  modernized  and  Christianized  Peripateticism.  Aristotle  is 
still,  as  in  the  thirteenth  century,  lil  maestro  di  die  cM  sanno.' 

"I  am  happy  to  find  you  dissenting  from  the  positions  of  the  article 
on  the  Infinite.  I  think  the  writer  has  been  misled,  like  Calderwood, 
into  an  ignoratio  elenchi,  a  misapprehension  of  the  real  issue.  No  one 
denies  the  conception,  or  the  actual  existence,  of  the  Infinite,  except  the 
most  narrow-minded  enthusiast  of  the  narrowest  materialism.  The 
question  is  simply  as  to  the  apprehensible  significance  of  the  Infinite, 
the  character  of  our  conception  of  it.  In  words,  it  is  incapable  of  any 
thing  but  a  negative  verbal  definition  ;  is  it  capable  of  a  positive  mental 
definition  ?  That  is  the  sole  question.  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  and  Leibnitz 
accord  with  Sir  William  Hamilton ;  and  it  is  to  Leibnitz  that  we  owe  the 
definition  employed  by  President  McCay. 


EDITORSHIP  OF  SOUTHERN  QUARTERLY  REVIEW.        405 

"It  is  to  be  anxiously  hoped  that  you  will  execute  your  design  of  re 
curring  to  the  subject  of  miracles.  If  you  would  permit  me  to  suggest 
for  your  reflections  a  topic  that  would  embrace  it,  and  which  you  would 
handle  in  such  a  manner  as  to  render  extensive  service,  and  much  in 
struction  and  gratification  to  many  others  besides  myself,  I  would  indi 
cate,  as  a  thesis,  the  Divine  Economy  of  the  Universe,  or  the  conciliation 
of  the  realms  of  nature  and  of  grace.  Without,  in  any  respect,  imitating 
or  following  Butler,  Leibnitz,  or  McCosh,  you  could  weave  a  stronger 
argument,  by  rising  to  higher,  more  abstract,  and  more  general  con 
siderations.  *  *  * 

"Excuse  the  tedious  length  of  this  letter.  With  sincere  respect  and 
esteem,  Yours,  etc., 

GEO.  FEEDK.  HOLMES/' 

Dr.  Thornwell  to  Mr.  Holmes : 

"  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  October  9,  1856. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  *  *  *  *  I  had  heard  that  you  were  not  a  can 
didate  for  the  chair  of  Greek  in  the  University,  and  therefore  made  no 
effort  for  you  in  reference  to  that  department.  My  own  impression,  too, 
was  very  clear,  that  History  was  precisely  the  chair  yon  ought  to  fill ; 
and  I  sincerely  hope  that  Providence  will  allot  you  to  the  station  in 
which  you  seem  pre-eminently  qualified  to  be  useful. 

"  Your  article  on  Grote  is  a  noble  production ;  and  if  you  had  never 
written  another  line  but  that,  it  ought  to  be  enough  to  elect  you.  *  *  * 
I  was  much  amused  at  the  mistake  into  which  I  led  you  in  relation  to 
Brandis's  Aristotle.  It  was  not  the  Scholia  to  Bekker's  edition  to  which 
I  referred,  but  a  far  less  formidable  undertaking.  It  was  the  little  trea 
tise,  '•Aristotclfs,  seme  Akademixchen  Zeitgenossen  und  navhsten  Nach- 
folger,'  of  which  I  have  only  the  first  half,  published  in  Berlin  in  1853. 
If  the  second  volume  of  the  Scholia  has  ever  been  published,  I  have  not 
heard  of  it.  We  have  only  the  first  in  our  library.  I  have  myself  only 
the  Oxford  reprint  of  Bekker's  text,  with  the  Sylburgian  Indices,  without 
the  Scholia  or  the  Latin  translations. 

' '  The  prospects  of  the  country  fill  me  with  sadness.  The  future  is 
very  dark.  The  North  seems  to  be  mad,  and  the  South  blind.  I  have 
been  anxious  to  get  a  good  article  on  the  subject,  written  in  the  spirit 
and  temper  of  Legare's  noble  article  on  the  American  system,  in  the  sixth 
volume  of  the  old  Southern  Review.  It  has  occurred  to  me,  from  the 
tone  of  their  speeches  in  Congress,  that  Mason  or  Hunter  would  do  the 
thing  well.  I  have  no  personal  acquaintance  with  them,  and  am,  there 
fore,  reluctant  to  approach  them.  Could  you  sound  them  for  me  ?  The 
Review  must  have  something  political ;  but  I  shall  for  ever  exclude  the 
topic,  unless  it  is  treated  in  a  manly,  patriotic,  statesman-like,  philo 
sophical  style.  But  I  have  perhaps  wearied  you  with  my  gossip.  At 
any  rate,  advancing  dawn  reminds  me  that  it  is  time  to  go  to  bed. 
"  Very  sincerely,  your  friend, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


406  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

To  the  same: 

"THEOLOGICAL  SEMINAKY,  November  20,  1856. 

"MY  DEAR  SIB  :  You  will  need  no  excuse  for  my  long  silence,  when 
you  come  to  know  the  circumstances  in  which  I  have  been  placed.  For 
more  than  two  months  my  house  was  a  hospital.  My  mother  was  first 
seized,  appeared  to  be  recovering,  then  relapsed,  and  after  a  series  of 
dreadful  sufferings,  expired  on  the  18th  of  last  month.  A  daughter, 
nearly  grown,  took  her  bed  about  two  weeks  before  the  death  of  my 
mother,  and  lingered  in  such  a  way  as  to  fill  us  with  dismal  apprehensions, 
until,  about  two  weeks  ago,  she  manifested  decided  symptoms  of  conval 
escence,  and  is  now,  I  am  happy  to  say,  quite  restored.  %My  mother's 
corpse  was  carried  to  her  own  home  ;  and  while  I  was  absent  at  .her  fu 
neral,  a  lovely  little  boy  followed  her  to  the  unseen  world.  I  found  him 
a  corpse  when  I  returned.  These  sad  visitations,  in  such  rapid  succes 
sion,  weighed  down  my  spirits.  I  had  no  heart  for  my  everyday  work. 
But  although  I  have  suffered,  and  suffered  keenly,  and  suffered,  as  I  hope, 
never  to  suffer  again,  yet  I  can  truly  say  that  I  was  not  conscious  of  the 
first  emotion  of  rebellion  against  the  Providence  of  God.  I  could  trust 
Him  in  the  deepest  darkness  which  surrounded  me.  The  gospel  which 
I  have  long  believed,  and  preached  because  I  believe,  was  a  very  present 
help  in  time  of  trouble.  I  felt  its  truth,  and  was  strengthened  by  its 
grace.  But  I  shall  not  trouble  you  with  my  private  griefs  any  further 
than  is  necessary  to  vindicate  myself  from  the  .imputation  of  neglect. 

*  *  *  I  am  anxious  for  an  able  review  of  Motley,  which  shall  present 
the  relations  of  the  Dutch  movement  to  the  great  principles  of  constitu 
tional  freedom.  The  state  papers  of  William  of  Orange  strike  me  as 
containing  the  germs  of  every  great  doctrine  of  English  and  American 
liberty.  It  is  in  this  aspect  that  the  subject  is  so  profoundly  interest 
ing,  and  I  know  of  none  better  qualified  to  do  it  justice  than  yourself. 
*  *  *  *  * 

"Very  ti-uly,  your  friend, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

Mr.  Holmes  to  Dr.  Thornwell : 

"BUBK'S  GARDEN,  TAZEWELL  Co.,  VA.,  December  1,  1856. 
"Mr  DEAB  SIB:  The  narration  of  your  severe  domestic  afflictions 
enlists  my  cordial  sympathies  in  your  great  and  irreparable  distress. 
There  is  no  agony  which  can  befall  a  good  man  on  earth  greater  than  that 
you  have  recently  experienced ;  there  is  no  consolation  which  heaven 
affords  for  the  mitigation  of  human  calamities,  more  cheering  and 
acceptable  than  the  resignation  which  an  earnest  Christian  faith  blessed 
you  with  in  the  hour  of  trial.  I  feel  deeply  the  crushing  blow  which  has 
fallen  upon  you,  and  spread  clouds  over  this  life,  but  compensated  the 
gloom  by  exhibiting  a  brighter  radiance  and  a  more  permanent  satisfac- 


EDITORSHIP  OF  SOUTHERN   QUARTERLY  REVIEW.        407 

tion  in  the  eternal  world.  With  what  yearning  anxiety  the  heart  turns  to 
God,  as  it  follows  the  departing  spirits  cf  the  good  and  the  innocent  of 
our  own  blood !  *  *  *  * 

"I  will  use  my  best  endeavours  to  procure  a  suitable  essay  on  'The 
State  of  the  Country,'  and  to  procure  it  promptly.  There  is  no  indica 
tion  of  authorship  to  the  articles  in  the  November  number.  The  last  is 
by  Mr.  Tyler,  of  Maryland.  I  ascribe  to  you  that  on  Maimonides,  and 
the  exquisite  notice  of  'Cicero  de  Officiis.'  I  read  the  appeal  on  the 
fourth  page  of  the  cover  with  equal  regret  and  shame.  I  trust  it  may 
be  successful.  *  *  *  The  Revieir  ought  to  be  sustained.  It  has  been 
an  honour  and  a  bulwark  to  the  South ;  it  has  been  a  crown  of  glory  to 
Sotith  Carolina,  and  that  State  could  well  afford  to  lose  one-half  of  her 
cotton  crop  rather  than  to  let  her  Southern  Review  go  down. 
"Yours  truly, 

.  GEO.  FREDK.  HOLMES." 

From  the  same  : 


"  BURK'S  GARDEN,  TAZEWELL  Co.,  VA.,  December  30,  1856. 

"REV.  AND  DEAR  SIR:  Dr.  Moore,  of  Richmond,  has  very  kindly 
sent  me  the  number  of  the  Central  Presbyterian,  containing  your  gen 
erous  communication  relative  to  the  Chair  of  'History  in  the  University 
of  Virginia.  If  I  could  only  feel  conscious  of  meriting,  in  any  degree, 
the  praise  you  have  so  graciously  bestowed,  I  should  feel  much  better 
satisfied  with  myself,  but  could  not  be  more  grateful  for  your  gratuitous 
commendations.  You  have,  however,  set  before  me  an  ideal,  which 
I  must  endeavour  to  approach,  though  without  hope  of  reaching  it.  • 

"  I  shall  finish  to-day  an  .essay  on  the  'Philosophy  of  Sir  William 
Hamilton,'  for  the  New  York  Methodist  Quarterly.  I  am  not  satisfied 
with  it ;  but  when  published,  shall  take  the  liberty  of  sending  it  to  you, 
with  the  hope  of  receiving  your  frank  castigation  of  its  views.  *  *  * 
I  know  no  one  in  the  country  so  competent  as  yourself  to  indicate  its 
blunders,  and  expose  its  weak  points.  And  as  I  have  been  anxiously 
seeking  a  philosophy  capable  of  furnishing  a  complete  conciliation  of 
reason  and  faith,  there  is  no  severity  of  judgment  which  will  not  be 
acceptable. 

"  I  am  ready  to  take  up  Motley  ;  but  I  cannot  do  justice  to  him  ;  my 
library  is  too  scant.  I  admire  both  the  spirit  and  execution  of  his  work  ; 
but  I  miss  with  regret  any  suitable  inquiry  into  the  social  condition  and 
commercial  progress  of  the  Low  Countries ;  and  he  has  failed  to  avail 
himself  of  the  illustration  of  the  intrigues,  treacheries,  and  jealousies  of 
the  nobles,  and  the  hostility  of  parties  furnished  by  the  family  con 
nexions  and  hereditary  traditions  of  the  members  of  the  Netherland 
aristocracy.  The  Duke  of  Aerschot  was  a  sovereign  prince  of  the  Holy 
Roman  Empire,  as  well  as  the  Prince  of  Orange.  But  this,  and  other 
points  like  this,  are  not  mentioned  by  Mr.  Motley. 


408        LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

"  I  have  in  hand  for  you  an  essay  on  '  the  Relations  of  Paganism  and 
Christianity,  during  the  first  three  or  four  centuries.'  My  collections 
on  the  subject  are  extensive,  but  deficient  in  regard  to  the  patristic  evi 
dence.  The  topic  is  an  interesting  and  instructive  one ;  and  I  think  I 
can  treat  it  in  such  a  manner  as  to  exhibit  some  novel  aspects. 
"Yours  sincerely, 

GEO.  FKEDK.  HOLMES." 

From  tlie  same: 

"BURK'S  GARDEN,  TAZEWELL  Co.,  VA.,  January  17,  1857. 

' '  REV.  AND  DEAR  SIR  :  Your  obliging  note  of  the  9th  inst.  has  just 
reached  me.  I  had  nearly  finished  the  rough  draft  of  a  notice  of  Motley, 
and  commenced  transcribing  it  to-day.  I  will  dispatch  it  in  the  course 
of  the  coining  week.  This  is  not  the  first  time  that  I  have  experienced 
the  wisdom  of  the  old  rule :  if  you  desire  information  on  any  subject, 
write  upon  it.  Facts,  recollections,  suggestions,  have  started  up  from 
obscure  hiding-places  in  the  crannies  of  the  brain  ;  and  though,  when  I 
commenced  the  paper,  I  thought  I  was  entirely  ignorant  of  th.:  age,  I 
have  been  unexpectedly  oppressed  with  the  redundance  of  my  matter. 
You  will  find  traces  in  my  article  of  '  many  a  curious  volume  of  forgotten 
lore;'  but  no  quotations  except  from  Motley,  and  those  brief.  I  feel 
confident  that  it  will  meet  your  approbation ;  it  is  infinitely  better  than 
the  notice  of  Grote.  *  *  *  * 

"It  is  with  deep  concern  I  am  informed  by  you  of  the  unpromising 
aspect  of  the  fortunes  of  the  Southern  Quarterly,  and  of  the  possibility 
of  your  retiring  from  its  superintendence.  Either  would  be  a  great 
calamity  to  the  South,  and  to  its  literature.  *  *  *  * 

"Believe  me,  with  grateful  regard  and  esteem, 
1 '  Yours  truly, 

GEO.  FREDK.  HOLMES." 

Dr.  Thornwell  to  Mr.  Holmes: 

"THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  February  28,  1857. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  :  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  congratulate  you  upon 
the  manner,  even  more  than  the  fact,  of  your  election  to  the  chair  of 
History  in  the  University  of  Virginia.  It  was  honourable  to  you,  and 
honourable  to  the  Board.  Our  young  men  will  be  encouraged  to  devote 
themselves  to  letters,  when  they  find  that  real  excellence  is  not  destined 
to  pass  without  reward.  Though  it  is  true  that  Mammon  is  not  the  in 
spiration  of  genius,  and  that  philosophy  should  be  sought  for  itself,  and 
not  for  the  dowry,  yet  the  native  glow  of  inspiration  requires  a  sun  to 
warm  it,  and  disinterested  love  must  have  favourable  circumstances  to 
expand  it.  As  well  might  we  expect  the  eagle  to  soar  in  void  space, 
without  a  supporting  atmosphere,  as  the  most  gifted  mind  to  unfold  its 
powers  without  opportunities.  I  rejoice  that  you  have  found  a  field 


EDITORSHIP  OF  SOUTHERN  QUARTERLY  REVIEW.        409 

suited  to  your  talents  and  your  taste.     God  grant  that  you  may  long 
live  to  occupy  and  adorn  it ! 

"There  are  two  portions  of  modern  history  which,  in  my  judgment, 
have  not  received  the  attention  they  deserve.  The  first  is  the  reign  of 
Henry  IV,  of  France,  and  the  other  is  the  period  intervening,  until  the 
commencement  of  the  French  Kevolution.  It  might  be  called  the  Rise 
and  Growth  of  Absolutism  in  France.  A  life  of  Henry,  and  a  general 
philosophical  history  of  the  subsequent  period,  would  fill  a  chasm  which 
I  know  of  no  work  of  any  signal  ability  that  supplies.  What  think  you 
of  either,  or  both,  parts  of  this  great  enterprise  ?  Whoever  should  exe 
cute  it  well,  might  adopt  the  language  of  Thucydides,  and  call  it  a  work 
for  all  time. 

"In  relation  to  the  Review,  I  am  sadly  discouraged.  The  February 
number  I  have  kept  back,  of  purpose,  hoping  to  stimulate  a  greater 
degree  of  interest.  I  do  not  see  that  much  has  been  accomplished.  The 
work  has  been  warmly  praised ;  but  praises  pay  neither  printer,  editor, 
nor  contributors.  A  project  is  on  foot  to  make  it  the  property  of  a  joint 
stock  company,  with  a  sufficient  capital  to  sustain  it  adequately.  One 
hundred  stockholders,  at  one  hundred  dollars  apiece,  would  put  it  on  a 
firm  foundation.  I  trust  that,  if  kept  up,  you  will  not  remit  your  interest 
in  its  prosperity. 

"Let  me  express  the  hope  that  you  may  find  occasion  to  revisit  Soiith 
Carolina ;  and,  in  that  case,  let  my  claims  upon  your  person,  as  a  captive 
or  a  guest,  be  regarded  supreme. 

"Very  truly,  your  friend, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

From  Mr.  Holmes : 

"BURK'S  GARDEN,  TAZEWELL  Co.,  VA.,  March  7,  1857. 

"  REV.  AND  DEAR  SIR  :  *****  Thank  you  for  your  valuable 
suggestion  in  regard  to  the  reign  of  Henry  IV,  and  the  succeeding  times 
in  France.  I  agree  with  you  in  your  estimate  of  those  ages,  and  their 
long  disregarded  importance.  They  attracted  my  attention  at  one  time, 
but  I  discontinued  my  researches,  from  the  difficulty  and  expense  of 
procuring  the  requisite  documents.  Since  that  period,  my  mind  has 
been  gradually  forced  backward  to  the  consideration  of  the  phenomena 
of  decay  in  the  society  of  the  Roman  Empire,  and  the  equally  interesting 
characteristics  of  the  reconstruction  of-  society,  and  the  germination  of 
modern  civilization  in  the  remoter  period  of  the  Middle  Ages.  My  col 
lections  on  this  subject  are  already  extensile.  *  *  * 

"  You  afford  a  gleam  of  hope  for  the  perpetuation  of  the  Review.  If 
the  scheme  be  carried  out,  I  may  be  able  to  aid  in  giving  it  some  assist 
ance  when  I  reach  the  University.  My  interest  in  the  existence  and 
honour  of  the  Review  cannot  fail.  It  exercised  and  promulgated  my 
earliest  speculations ;  it  gave  me  my  first  reputation  ;  it  has  been  instru 
mental  in  securing  my  present  appointment ;  and  your  kindness  has 
finally  linked  my  name  with  its  fortunes  and  honours."  *  *  * 


4:10  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

"  May  30,  1857. 

*  *     *     "I  had  hoped  to  have  heard  your  judgment  of  the  criticism 
of  Sir  William  Hamilton,  which  I  directed  to  be  sent  to  you  in  the  num 
bers  of  the  New  York  Methodist  Quarterly,  when  it  was  published.     I 
am  solicitous  for  this,  as  the  points  discussed  are,  in  my  estimation,  of 
great  importance  ;   and  there  are  few,  if  any,  who  can  as  readily  detect 
their  importance  and  bearing,  and  estimate  their  validity  or  invalidity. 

*  *     *     "  Believe  me,  very  respectfully  and  sincerely  yours, 

GEO.  FEEDK.  HOLMES." 

Dr.  Thornwell  to  Mr.  Holmes : 

"  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  July  7,  1857. 

"Mr  DEAR  SIB:  Your  articles  on  Hamilton  were  read  by  me  with 
great  interest ;  and  it  may  gratify  you  to  know  that  I  put  them  into  the 
hands  of  my  class  in  the  'Seminary,  to  whom  I  was  delivering,  at  the 
time,  some  side  lectures  on  Kant.  Sir  William's  changes  in  logic— the 
exclusion  of  the  categories  and  all  material  considerations,  the  thoroiigh- 
going  quantification  of  the  predicate,  the  consequent  extension  of  pro- 
positional  forms,  and  the  simplification  of  the  whole  doctrine  of  con 
version — have  always  appeared  to  ihe  specimens  of  a  keen,  but  perverse, 
ingenuity.  I  cannot  see  their  importance  ;  and  I  am  sure,  and  he  even 
admits,  that  language  is  not  constructed  with  reference  to  them.  And 
yet,  are  not  the  laws  of  language  the  laws  of  thought  ?  Then,  again,  the 
unfigured  syllogism,  I  am  quite  certain,  can  be  reduced  to  shape.  Propo 
sitions,  in  which  the  terms  are  not  related  as  subjects  and  predicates, 
seem  to  me  harder  to  understand  than  the  doctrines  of  St.  Paul. 

"The  philosophical  reason  you  suggest  for  not  recognizing  the  quan 
tification  of  the  predicate  in  affirmative  propositions,  was  quite  new  to 
me;  and,  I  am  disposed  to  think,  is  not  without  more  significance  than 
you  have  attached  to  it.  That  the  very  forms  in  which  we  embody  our 
positive  knowledge,  should  contain  intimations  that  there  remains  much 
more  to  be  known ;  that  all  science  should  be  a  confession  of  ignorance, 
is  in  exact  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  Sir  AVilliam  Hamilton's  philos 
ophy,  and  the  real  state  of  the  case. 

"Upon  the  point  in  dispute  between  Sir  William  and  Cousin,  I  have 
always  thought  that  the  victory  was  with  Sir  William.  And  yet  I  am 
not  clear  that  the  Infinite  and  Absolute  are  species  of  the  same  genus,, 
exhaustive  of  the  whole  sphere  of  the  Unconditioned ;  still  less  can  I 
admit  that  all  positive  thought  is  mediated  between  two  extremes, 
neither  of  which  is  cogitable  ;  but  one  of  which — and,  as  far  as  the  state 
ment  goes,  no  matter  which — must  be  admitted.  The  Infinite  and  the 
Absolute  appear  to  me  as  different  aspects  of  one  and  the  same  thing  : 
different  phases  under  which  it  is  contemplated  by  the  mind.  It  is  the 
Infinite,  when  considered  in  itself :  the  boundless  sphere  of  being,  the 
substratum  or  ground  of  all  existence.  It  is  the  Absolute,  when  consid 
ered  as  determining  being,  as  conditioning  and  regulating  the  finite  and 


EDITORSHIP  OF  SOUTHERN  QUARTERLY  REVIEW.         411 

limited.  The  Infinite  One  is  the  Essence  in  itself ;  the  Absolute,  that 
Essence  as  entering  into,  and  giving  force  to  all  dependent  existence. 
The  Infinite  is  the  negation  of  the  finite ;  the  Absolute  involves  its  affir 
mation.  These  seem  to  me  the  senses  in  which  these  terms  are  em 
ployed  by  the  Absolute  philosophers. 

"There  is  only  one  thing  in  your  articles  to  which  I  must  demur; 
and  that  is  your  low  estimate  of  my  old  friend,  Dugald  Stewart.  His 
work  was  the  first  to  inspire  me  with  any  love  for  philosophical  pursuits, 
and  I  confess  that  I  prize  his  writings  very  highly.  His  candour,  his 
love  of  truth,  his  modesty  in  stating  his  opinions,  his  scrupulous  pre 
cision  in  the  use  of  language,  are  beyond  all  praise.  The  man  who  in 
spired  into  his  pupils  the  enthusiasm  kindled  by  Stewart,  must  have  had 
more  than  ordinary  merit.  His  sketch  of  modern  philosophy  is  an  ex 
quisite  morceau.  His  speculations  upon  the  real  nature  of  mathema 
tical  reasoning,  his  remarks  upon  axioms,  and  the  proper  place  of  first 
truths,  strike  me  as  all  indicating  no  mean  talents  for  philosophy.  As 
an  expounder  of  Reid's  system,  he  has  been  very  successful  in  eliminat 
ing  its  radical  principles,  and  in  guarding  them  from  abuse.  Take  out 
his  silly  speculations  upon  language,  especially  the  Sanscrit,  and  a  few 
other  blemishes,  and  I  know  of  no  other  books  that  can  be  read  with 
more  interest,  profit  and  delight,  than  the  speculations  of  Dugald  Stewart. 
From  the  influence  of  early  associations,  I  love  him  as  Tani  O'Shanter 
loved  his  drouthy  crony.  I  love  him  'as  a  very  brither.'  But  I  am, 
perhaps,  tedious.  I  have  written  these  hasty  lines  without  your  articles 
before  me,  and  without  having  seen  them  for  more  than  two  months. 
I  lent  them  to  some  of  my  pupils ;  and  it  may  be  that  I  have  written 
unadvisedly.  Wishing  you  every  prosperity,  I  am, 
"As  ever,  your  sincere  friend, 

J.  H.  THORNWZLL." 

"P.  S.— The  article  on  the  'Disuse  of  the  Latin  Language,'  I  had 
retained  for  the  next  number  of  the  Review.  What  shall  I  do  with  it  ? 
Shall  I  return  it  to  you  ?  or  shall  I  send  it  to  any  other  journal  ? 


This  postscript  is  the  last  note  of  the  bell,  as  the  foun 
dering  ship  went  down  beneath  the  flood.  The  Southern 
Quarterly  was  no  more !  In  a  second  postscript  to  the 
above  letter,  Dr.  Thorn  well  says:  "I  will  re-pernse  your 
article  on  Hamilton,  and  give  you  my  opinion  more  in 
detail."  In  reference  to  which  promise,  Mr.  Holmes 
writes :  "  The  more  detailed  views  of  Hamilton's  Philoso 
phy  were  never  sent.  The  decease  of  the  Southern 
Quarterly  Review,  and  the  occupations  of  us  both,  soon 
terminated  the  correspondence."  We  find,  hewever. 


412  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

among  the  loose  papers  in  our  possession,  a  fragment, 
which  was  evidently  intended  as  the  fulfilment  of  his 
pledge;  and  though  it  bears  upon -its  face  evidence  of 
being  only  the  commencement  of  an  extended  criticism, 
the  two  points  signalized  in  it  are  so  important,  as  the 
expression  of  his  philosophical  views,  that  it  would  be 
criminal  to  withhold  it.  The  reader  cannot  but  be  grati 
fied  to  learn,  from  his  own  pen,  the  precise  estimate  in 
which  he  held  the  contribution  made  by  Sir  William 
Hamilton  to  philosophy: 


"My  L»EAB  SIB  :  In  one  respect  I  rejoice,  in  another  I  ain  sorry,  that 
I  promised  to  give  you  a  more  detailed  review  of  your  admirable  article 
on  Sir  William  Hamilton's  philosophy.  I  rejoice,  because  the  reading 
and  re-reading,  and  reading  of  them  again,  which  it  rendered  necessary, 
have  been  to  me  a  source  of  the  purest  satisfaction.  Your  essays  have 
not  only  confirmed  my  impressions  of  your  learning,  but  given  me  an 
insight  into  qualities  of  mind  which,  I  frankly  confess,  I  was  not  pre 
pared  to  attribute  to  you,  in  anything  like  the  degree  in  which  you  have 
shown  yourself  to  possess  them.  You  will  not  be  surprised,  therefore, 
that  I  regret  having  made  the  promise,  as  the  execution  of  it  is  likely  to 
be  of  as  little  profit  to  you  as  credit  to  myself.  One  revenge,  however, 
I  shall  inflict  on  you  for  the  loss  of  my  time  and  pains — that  of  passing 
over  in  silence,  or  with  a  mere  allusion,  those  parts  of  your  essay  in 
which  I  can  find  nothing  to  censure,  and  dwelling  upon  those  in  which 
there  seems  to  be  a  chance  of  picking  holes.  I  could  not  justly  claim 
to  be  a  critic,  if  I  found  no  fault. 

"  1.  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  appreciate  so  justly  the  subordination 
of  philosophy  to  faith.  For  myself,  I  have  long  looked  upon  the  Scrip 
tures  as  containing  the  key  to  the  true  solution  of  the  problem  of  ex 
istence  ;  and  I  have  been  struck,  in  several  instances,  with  the  remark 
able  fact,  that  the  speculations  of  Aristotle  break  down  just  where  a 
higher  light  was  needed  to  guide  him.  He  has  tracked  truth  through  the 
court  and  sanctuary  to  the  mystic  veil,  which  he  was  not  permitted  to 
lift.  One  hint  from  revelation  would  have  perfected  his  theory  of  hap 
piness  ;  a  single  line  of  Moses  would  have  saved  a  world  of  perplexity, 
touching  the  relations  of  matter  and  form.  Any  system  of  philosophy 
must  be  fundamentally  false  .which  does  not  lay  a  foundation  for  the 
possibility  of  revelation ;  and  to  do  this,  the  notions  of  a  personal  God, 
and  a  strict  and  proper  creation,  must  be  vindicated.  In  all  this  we 
agree ;  but  I  have  been  unable  to  determine  to  what  class  of  philoso 
phers  you  refer  (p.  24),  as  being  inclined  '  to  look  upon  the  created  uni 
verse  as  an  episodical  digression.'  The  predominant  vice  of  modern 
philosophy,  it  seems  to  me,  is  just  the  opposite  ;  it  is  to  look  upon  na- 


EDITORSHIP  OF  SOUTHERN   QUARTERLY  REVIEW.        413 

ture  as  the  all.  Whatever  form  of  the  Absolute  you  take,  it  quietly  pro 
ceeds  upon  the  category  of  the  immanent,  assumes  the  doctrine  of  sub 
stantial  identity,  and  recognizes  no  principle  but  that  of  necessary  de 
velopment,  or  inevitable  self-manifestation.  The  consequence  is,  that 
a  personal  God,  with  all  free  causation,  is  excluded.  Where  there  is  no 
design,  there  can  be  no  episodes ;  and  where  all  is  necessary,  nothing 
can  be  incidental. 

"  2.  Your  estimate  of  the  Scotch  school  is  so  different  from  my  o\rn, 
that  I  am  constrained  to  believe  that  either  you  or  I  have  misapprehended 
its  characteristics.  In  my  judgment,  your  articles  breathe  the  very 
spirit  of  the  Scottish  philosophy ;  and  every  exception  you  have  taken 
to  the  tenor  and  bearing  of  Sir  William's  speculations  is  only  in  in 
stances  in  which  he  has  diverged  from  the  track  of  Reid  and  Stewart,  and 
the  scope  of  your  criticism  is  to  bring  him  back.  His  great  merit  is 
that  he  has  explained,  purified,  vindicated,  and  enlarged  the  doctrines 
of  his  masters.  He  has  supplied  deficiencies,  corrected  errors,  suggested 
amendments ;  but  his  whole  effort  has  been  to  bring  the  system  into 
harmony  with  itself.  His  philosophy  is  only  that  of  Reid  and  Stewart, 
perfected  by  an  instrument — a  sound  logic — which  they  did  not  possess. 
I  cannot  agree,  therefore,  that  he  has  introduced  '  something  like  sys 
tem,  substance,  order,  and  coherence  into  their  vague  experimental  psy 
chology,  by  a  sweeping  and  revolutionary  legislation,  (p.  27.)  Apart 
from  a  more  thorough  exposition  of  the  criteria  of  our  fundamental  be 
liefs  and  primitive  cognitions — two  things,  by  the  way,  which  Sir  Wil 
liam  Hamilton  does  not,  and  Stewart  does,  distinguish — apart  from  a 
consistent  and  logical  account  of  the  conditions  indispensable  to  the 
possibility  and  validity  of  the  philosophy  of  common  sense ;  these  con 
tributions,  and  the  distinctions  and  explanations  which  the  theory  of 
realism  supposes,  such  as  those  in  relation  to  presentative  and  repre 
sentative  knowledge,  and  the  real  nature  of  consciousness,  I  know  of 
nothing  that  Sir  William  has  contributed  to  philosophy ;  and  these  are 
all  in  accordance  with  the  system  of  Reid  and  Stewart,  except  the  effort 
to  define  more  precisely  the  limits  of  human  knowledge  in  the  Philoso 
phy  of  the  Conditioned.  That,  as  far  as  it  is  sound,  is  out  and  out 
Scottish ;  as  far  as  it  is  unsound,  it  departs  from  the  characteristics  of 
the  school.  The  estimate  which  I  have  expressed  of  Sir  William's  re 
lations  to  the  Scotch  school,  is  precisely  that  of  Cousin.  In  that  beauti 
ful  and  exquisite  letter  which  he  wrote  to  Professor  Pillans,  when  Sir 
William  was  a  candidate  for  the  chair  of  Logic  and  Metaphysics,  he  re 
presented  him  as  the  very  impersonation  of  the  Scottish  philosophy ;  and 
the  question  before  the  electors  was  the  question  of  giving  a  successor 
to  Reid  and  Stewart.  You  will  find  the  whole  letter,  (and  a  reference 
to  it  would  have  graced  your  article)  in  *  Peipi's  Fragments  de  Philo 
sophic.' 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

SEMINARY  LIFE. 

DEATH  OF  HIS  MOTHER,  AND  OF  HIS  SON. — His  VIEWS  OF  THE  FAMILY 
COVENANT. — ASSEMBLY  OF  18">G. — His  SERMON  ON  FOREIGN  MISSIONS. — 
LETTER  TO  HIS  DAUGHTER.  — PASTOR  OF  THE  COLUMBIA  CHURCH.  — VIEW 
OF  AFRICAN  SLAVE  TRADE. — TOUR  THROUGH  THE  WEST. — LETTERS  TO 
HIS  CHILDREN  AND  WIFE. — MEMBER  OF  ASSEMBLY  IN  1857. — APPOINTED 
CHAIRMAN  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  REVISION  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  DISCIPLINE. — 
LETTEB  IN  RELATION  TO  IT,  FROM  THE  MODERATOR.  — His  INAUGURATION 
AS  PROFESSOR  IN  THE  SEMINARY. 

T  NTIM ATION  has  been  given,  in  a  preceding  letter,  of 
JL  the  bereavement  he  sustained  in  1856.  His  mother, 
left  a  widow  in  1820,  contracted  a  second  marriage,  on 
the  26th  of  February,  1829,  with  Mr.  Ananias  Graham, 
a  plain  man,  but  of  excellent  character  and  good  position. 
This  relation  continued  unbroken  until  her  own  death,  on 
the  18th  of  October,  1856.  It  must  have  been  to  her  a 
great  privilege  to  fall  asleep,  as  she  did,  in  the  arms  of 
her  distinguished  son.  It  was  so  ordered,  by  a  kind 
Providence,  that  she  was  on  a  visit  to  him,  when  she  was 
taken  down  with  typhoid  fever ;  and  after  lingering  many 
weeks,  during  which  he  nursed  her  with  the  utmost  ten 
derness,  she  fell  asleep  in  Jesus.  He  accompanied  her 
remains  to  Bennettsville,  South  Carolina,  which  was  her 
home,  and  returned  immediately  to  Columbia,  to  en 
counter,  if  possible,  a  heavier  sorrow.  Two  of  his  chil 
dren  were  lying  ill,  of  the  same  disease,  when  he  left. 
Upon  entering  the  house,  the  family  met  him  at  the  door, 
with  countenances  veiled  with  peculiar  sadness.  "  Tell 
me  the  worst,"  he  exclaimed;  "tell  me  if  my  dear 
daughter  is  dead."  She  was  thought,  aj:  the  time  of  his 
departure,  to  be  the  sicker  of  the  two.  "  No,"  was  the 

415 


416  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

reply;  "but  Witherspoon  is;  he  died  about  half  an  hour 
ago."  He  was  completely  overcome  by  the  tidings,  and 
had  to  be  assisted  to  his  room;  but,  adds  the  gentle  nar 
rator,  "  He  had  the  sweet  assurance  that  his  darling  boy 
was  with  Jesus ;  he  had  given  every  evidence  of  a  change 
of  heart  before  he  was  sick." 

This  little  boy,  who  was  taken  away  when  a  little  over 
nine  years  of  age,  had  been,  in  some  respects,  a  remark 
able  child  from  his  birth.  He  was  distinguished,  not 
only  by  a  singular  sweetness  of  disposition,  but  by  an  un 
common  development  of  religious  feeling.  This  was 
indicated,  not  so  much  by  the  usual  childish  curiosity 
about  religious  subjects,  as  by  the  prayerful  exercises  in 
which  he  secretly  engaged.  It  was  not  an  uncommon 
thing  to  find  him  alone,  in  some  unfrequented  place,  upon 
his  knees;  in  one  instance,  just  before  his  illness,  con 
cealed  behind  the  wood-pile,  in  the  yard.  Some  weeks 
after  his  death,  the  writer  asked  of  his  father,  what  was 
his  opinion  as  to  the  salvation  of  children  who  died  at  the 
dubious  age  of  his  own  son,  when  it  was,  so  difficult  to  fix 
the  boundaries  of  personal  accountability  ?  After  stating, 
in  reply,  the  more  special  grounds  of  hope  afforded  in 
this  case,  Dr.  Thornwell  added :  Independently  of  all  this, 
however,  I  believe  the  covenant  which  God  has  made  with 
His  people,  and  which  is  sealed  to  their  faith  in  the  bap 
tism  of  their  offspring,  to  be  a  real  and  a  precious  tiling ; 
and  where  Christian  parents  have,  in  faith,  laid  .hold  upon 
this  covenant,  and  have  pleaded  its  promises  on  behalf  of 
their  seed,  they  may,  when  dying  in  these  early  years  of 
childish  immaturity,  be  laid,  without  a  particle  of  appre 
hension  or  distrust,  upon  the  bosom  of  that  promise,  "  I 
will  be  a  God  to  thee,  and  to  thy  seed."  We  do  not  em 
brace  this  statement  in  quotation  marks,  simply  because 
we  cannot  reproduce  the  exact  language,  after  the  lapse 
of  so  many  years.  But  an  experience  of  our  own,  in  a 
similar  bereavement,  had  made  that  view  of  the  baptismal 
covenant  exceedingly  precious;  and  this  confirmation  of 


SEMINARY  LIFE.  41? 

it,  by  one  whose  opinions  were  so  carefully  formed,  made 
an  impression  too  distinct  to  allow  any  mistake  of  his 
meaning. 

Dr.  Thorn  well  was  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly, 
which  met  in  New  York  city,  in  1856.  In  reference  to 
him,  however,  there  is  nothing  worthy  of  special  mention 
but  the  delivery  of  the  sermon  on  Foreign  Missions,  by 
appointment  of  the  preceding  Assembly.  It  was  pub 
lished,  by  order  of  the  Assembly,  and  may  be  found  in 
the  second  volume  of  his  "Collected  Writings."  Its  theme 
was,  "  The  Sacrifice  ot  Christ  the  type  and  model  of  mis 
sionary  effort."  Dr.  Addison  Alexander,  himself  a  won 
derful  example  of  pulpit  eloquence,  heard  it  delivered, 
and  pronounced  it  "as  fine  a  specimen  of  Demosthenian 
eloquence  as  he  had  ever  heard  from  the  pulpit,  and  that 
it  realized  his  idea  of  what  preaching  should  be:"  a  noble 
testimony  from  a  source  which  no  one  can  afford  to  dis 
parage,  and  honourable  to  the  frank  and  generous  heart 
from  which  it  sprang.  They  are  both .  in  heaven :  can 
one  conceive  the  fellowship  between  the  two,  before  the 
Throne,  rising  together,  from  the  learning  and  philosophy 
of  earth,  to  the  higher  scholarship  known  only  to  the  im 
mortals  ? 

The  following  letter  is  transcribed  with  a  melancholy 
interest.  It  is  the  only  one  that  can  be  identified,  with 
certainty,  as  addressed  to  his  eldest  daughter,  Nannie,  of 
whom  there  will  be  a  touching  memorial  in  the  sequel : 


"  COLUMBIA,  June  7,  1856. 

' '  MY  DEAR  DAUGHTER  :  We  have  just  received  your  letter,  and  were 
becoming  very  anxious  on  account  of  what  appeared  to  us  as  your 
protracted  silence.  There  must  have  been  some  irregularity  in  the  mail 
which  brought  it,  or  some  detention  of  it  in  your  own  hands  after  you 
had  written  it,  or  it  could  not  have  been  so  long  on  the  way.  We  were 
gratified  to  learn  that  your  health  was  preserved,  and  not  astonished  to 
find  you  complaining  of  a  feeling  of  lonesomeness.  This  will  wear  off, 
as  your  mind  becomes  interested  in  the  objects  around  you.  I  want  you 
to  improve  the  opportunities  you  enjoy,  and  to  evince,  when  you  return, 
the  benefits  of  your  trip. 


LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

' '  The  first  thing,  my  dear  child,  that  I  would  impress  upon  you  is  the 
care  of  your  own  soul.  That,  after  all,  is  the  business  of  life.  I  do  not 
mean  merely  that  you  are  to  read  your  Bible  with  regularity  and  atten 
tion,  and  observe  your  hours  of  private  devotion.  This,  I  am  sure,  you 
will  not  neglect.  But  I  am  anxious  to  see  you  really  interested  in  the 
great  salvation.  Nothing  would  delight  me  so  much  as  to  hear  that  you 
felt  yourself  by  nature  a  lost  and  miserable  sinner,  and  that  you  were 
trusting  in  Jesus  for  the  pardon  of  your  guilt.  Do  not  be  easy  until  you 
have  a  good  hope  that  your  sins  are  forgiven,  and  that  your  heart  is  re 
newed.  Try  to  profit  by  the  sermons  you  hear.  Apply  them  to  your 
self  ;  pray  over  them,  and  beg  the  Lord  to  make  them  contribute  to  your 
good.  True  religion  will  be  the  greatest  accomplishment  you  can  possi 
bly  require.  Seek  it  until  you  find  it. 

"  In  the  next  place,  be  attentive  to  your  studies.  Endeavour  to  store, 
your  mind  with  useful  and  elegant  knowledge.  You  may  abandon  the 
study  of  Latin,  but  give  yourself  closely  to  the  acquisition  of  French.  I 
want  to  see  you  so  perfectly  master  of  that  language,  as  to  write  and 
speak  it  with  fluency  and  ease.  Give  attention'  also  to  English  composi 
tion.  Now  is  the  time  to  form  your  taste.  If  you  have  an  opportunity, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  they  are  frequent  in  New  York,  you  would  do  well 
to  take  lessons  from  a  writing-master,  so  as  to  improve  your  hand.  You 
see  that  I  do  not  wish  you  to  be  idle,  and  I  do  not  wish  you  to  be 
diverted  from  solid  pursuits  by  company  or  visiting.  There  is  one  ex 
ercise  which  I  must  exact  from  you,  and  you  must  be  sure  to  perform  it 
punctually ;  and  that  is,  to  write  me  every  Monday  an  account  of  the 
sermons  you  heard  on  Sunday,  particularly  the  morning  sermon.  This 
will  be  profitable  to  you,  and  very  interesting  to  me. 

"We  found  Charlie  very  ill  upon  our  return,  and  for  several  days  I 
despaired  of  his  life.  But  he  is  now  much  better,  and  I  feel  encour 
aged  to  hope  that  he  will  recover  from  the  attack.  He  is  a  mere  skele 
ton,  but  his  spirits  are  good,  and  he  frequently  talks  about  Nannie.  He 
made  us  read  your  letter  aloud  to  him,  and  was  as  much  interested  as  any 
of  the  family.  The  little  fellow  has  been  a  model  of  patience  and  self- 
denial,  and  I  sincerely  trust  that  God  is  sparing  him  for  some  valuable 
end.  *  *  *  *  All  keep  well  but  Charlie.  You  must  write  to  us 
twice  a  week,  and  do  not  forget  the  sermons  on  Monday.  It  is  Saturday 
night,  and  I  must  get  ready  for  to-morrow.  So  farewell  for  the  present. 
"Your  affectionate  father, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

This  allusion  to  preparation  for  the  Sabbath,  renders 
it  proper  to  state,  that  the  Columbia  church  being  at 
that  time  vacant,  he  was  invited  to  nil  the  pulpit,  by  a 
people  who  gratefully  remembered  his  ministrations  to 
them  fifteen  years  before.  In  consequence  of  this  ar. 
rangement,  Dr.  Thornwell,  in  adition  to  his  duties  as  a 


SEMINARY  LIFE.  419 

Theological  Professor,  and  as  the  editor  of  a  leading 
quarterly,  found  himself  in  the  service  of  one  of  the 
most  important  churches  in  the  South. 

We  insert  here  a  letter  to  a  near  kinsman,  upon  the 
death  of  his  young  wife.  It  is  full  of  valuable  counsel 
to  such  as  are  temporarily  thrown  off  their  balance  by 
sorrow ;  and  exhibits  a  proof  of  that  friendship  which 
does  not  hesitate  to  wound  in  order  to  heal. 

"THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  September  4,  1856. 

"  DEAR  DONNOM  :  I  regret  very  much  that  I  did  not  have  the  oppor 
tunity  of  seeing  more  of  you,  during  your  short  visit  to  Columbia. 
Your  case  has  excited  an  intense  interest  in  my  mind,  not  only  in  the 
way  of  sympathy  for  your  sore  and  terrible  affliction,  but  in  the  way  of 
apprehension  for  the  use  you  are  likely  to  make  of  it.  You  must  ex 
cuse  me  for  speaking  plainly  ;  my  anxiety  on  your  behalf  will  not  allow 
me  to  hold  my  peace,  or  to  speak  what  your  feelings  would  prompt  you 
to  ask.  Your  situation  is  critical,  much  more  critical  than  you  and  your 
friends  may  possibly  suspect.  You  are  in  danger  of  pursuing  a  course 
that  may  terminate  in  serious  and  lasting  injury  to  your  character  and 
prospects. 

"In  the  first  place,  Donnom,  let  me  say  to  you  frankly,  that  the 
want  of  fortitude  which  you  seem  to  feel  it  no  reproach  to  exhibit, 
is  inconsistent  alike  with  the  dignity  which  becomes  a  man,  and  the 
submission  which  belongs  to  a  Christian.  To  bear  with  firmness  what 
Cannot  be  avoided,  is  the  dictate  of  philosophy ;  to  bear  with  resigna 
tion  what  God  appoints,  is  the  dictate  of  religion.  To  be  unnerved  by 
calamities,  to  nurse  our  sorrows,  to  foster  our  grief,  and  make  it  our 
whole  business  to  mourn,  is  a  spirit  of  rebellion  and  insubordination, 
which  not  only  cannot  be  justified,  but  cannot  even  be  excused.  It  has 
no  parallel  but  in  the  case  of  children,  who  pine  over  their  losses  in 
stubborn  fretfulness,  and  refuse  all  the  kindness  and  condescension  of 
their  parents  to  soothe  their  petulance.  The  language  of  such  a  course 
to  the  Almighty,  when  rightly  interpreted,  is  a  language  of  defiance, 
which  a  creature  should  shudder  to  use.  It  is  a  virtual  declaration  that 
because  God  has  crossed  you  in  your  schemes  and  hopes,  you  are  re 
solved  to  enjoy  no  more  of  His  gifts,  and  to  discharge  no  longer  the 
duties  He  has  imposed  upon  you.  It  is  the  language  of  sullen  resentment. 
I  do  not  object  to  the  pungency  of  your  grief :  it  is  right  to  feel  afflic 
tions,  and  to  feel  them  keenly.  Religion  does  not  convert  us  into 
stones.  But  while,  like  Jesus,  we  may  weep  at  the  tomb  of  our  friends, 
we  should  never  permit  our  nerves  to  be  unstrung,  nor  our  loins  un- 
girded,  for  the  duties  and  responsibilities  which  still  rest  upon  us.  We 
are  still  men,  and  still  sustain  the  relutions  of  men.  With  subdued  and 


420  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

chastened  spirits  we  should  return  from  the  grave  to  the  earnest  calls  of 
life.  There  should  be  a  dignity  in  our  bearing,  a  majesty  in  our  woe,  that 
should  command  the  respect  and  awe  the  sympathy  of  all  who  take 
knowledge  of  us.  This  is  the  deportment  that  I  want  to  see  you  adopt. 
I  have  been  distressed  to  see  you  moping  about,  and  arming  yourself 
with  industrious  patience,  against  the.  invasion  of  every  thought  that 
would  divert  you  from  your  loss,  as  if  your  sole  business  now  was 
simply  to  fan  the  flame  of  your  sorrow.  You  seem  to  have  forgotten 
that  you  are  a  son,  a  brother,  a  master,  a  man.  You  are  resolved  to  ex 
tinguish  every  relation  of  life  in  the  disruption  of  the  tie  which  bound 
you  as  a  husband.  It  is  a  serious,  and  may  prove  in  the  end,  unless 
you  summon  your  energies  to  correct  it,  a  fatal  mistake.  You  must 
resist  this  weakness.  Pardon  me  for  saying  that  I  was  shocked  when 
you  told  me  that  you  intended  to  sell  your  property  and  return  to 
Alabama,  for  the  purpose  of  being  constantly  associated  with  those  who 
could  nurse  your  sorrows,  and  keep  the  sore  everlastingly  running. 
Donnom,  this  must  not  be.  I  say  to  you  in  all  earnestness,  as  you  prize 
your  best  and  highest  interests,  do  not  think  of  making,  in  the  present 
condition  of  your  mind,  any  permanent  change  in  your  arrangements 
for  life.  You  are  not  qualified  to  form  an  impartial  judgment,  and  the 
spirit  and  end  of  the  proposed  scheme  are  such  as  to  promise  nothing 
but  disaster.  Wait  till  reason  and  reflection  have  resumed  their  as 
cendency,  before  you  venture  to  disturb  the  existing  state  of  your 
affairs.  Do  nothing  without  the  advice  of  your  father.  He  is  cool  and 
collected,  and  is  competent  to  counsel  you  with  discretion. 

"But,  Donnom,  my  worst  fear  in  relation  to  you  is,  that  this  affliction 
is  likely  to  pass  off  without  any  profit.  If  it  is  not  sanctified  to  your 
spiritual  good,  it  will  do  you  incalculable  harm.  As  I  told  you,  in  the 
brief  conversation  I  had  with  you,  your  mind  was  turned  to  none  of 
those  Christian  aspects  in  which,  as  a  visitation  of  God,  your  bereave 
ment  should  be  contemplated,  but  was  wholly  absorbed  in  the  selfish 
considerations  of  your  own  personal  loss.  You  have  obstinately  refused 
to  see  the  hand  of  God ;  you  fix  upon  nothing  but  the  happiness  which  has 
fled  from  your  grasp.  Now,  the  effect  of  this  perverseness  cannot  fail  to 
be  disastrous.  However  improbable  it  may  now  sound  to  you,  time  will  do 
its  work ;  other  associations  will  eventually  take  possession  of  the  mind ; 
the  intensity  of  your  anguish  will  pass  away  ;  and  unless  your  human 
nature  is  different  from  that  of  all  other  men,  the  reaction  will  be  as 
violent  to  the  other  extreme  ;  and  you  may  be  the  victim  of  a  levity  as 
unbecoming  as  your  present  unmanly  grief.  If  selfishness  is  to  rule 
the  hour,  this  must  be  the  effect.  It  will  keep  you  for  a  while  in  your 
present  state  of  mind,  making-  morbid  luxury  of  tears;  but  the  same 
law  which  produces  this  result  will,  after  the  satiety  of  grief  is  over, 
seek  a  different  species  of  luxury  in  other  channels.  Mark  my  words. 
I  have  studied  that  mystery  of  inconsistencies  and  contradictions,  the 
human  heart,  and  I  know  what  I  am  saying.  The  effect  of  such  a  re 
action  will  be  fatal  to  all  seriousness  of  character.  If  you  permit  this 


SEMINARY  LIFE.  421 

season  to  pass  without  having  the  selfishness  of  your  nature  eradicated 
or  subdued,  it  will  become  the  predominant  principle  of  your  life  ;  and, 
though  it  may  not  assume  offensive  forms,  it  will  be  as  deadly  in  its 
hostility  to  religion  as  if  it  wore  the  hateful  and  disgusting  shapes  which 
provoke  the  reprobation  of  the  world.  Your  character  is  now  passing 
through  a  crisis.  Self  is  uppermost ;  God  has  called  you  to  a  dreadful 
sacrifice  of  that  principle.  He  has  taken  what  is  dearest  to  self :  and 
now  self  shows  its  power  by  refusing  to  be  comforted,  or  even  to 
submit,  because  its  pride  has  been  wounded.  Let  this  spirit  continue 
to  regulate  your  feelings,  and  you  become  a  confirmed  votary  to  self, 
and  an  incorrigible  rebel  against  God.  Your  afflictions  will  turn  out  to 
be  a  curse,  instead  of  being  improved  as  a  blessing.  It  is,  therefore,  of 
the  last  importance  that  you  should  begin  to  consider  your  case  in  a  new 
li,<<ht ;  to  look  upon  it  as  a  dispensation  of  God,  designed  to  answer 
salutary  ends ;  and  to  seek,  by  prayer  and  devout  meditation,  to  have 
its  lessons  impressed  upon  your  mind. 

"  The  first  thing  which  the  pungency  of  your  grief  should  teach  you, 
is  the  bitterness  of  sin.  I  do  not  say  that  your  affliction  is  any  judgment 
upon  you  ;  we  have  no  right  so  to  interpret  the  events  of  Providence.  The 
estimate  of  personal  character  is  not  to  be  measured  by  outward  circum 
stances.  But  all  pain  is  ultimately  due  to  sin ;  and  the  degree  of  pain 
which  exists  in  the  world  may  give  us  some  notion  of  the  extent  to  which 
God  hates  sin. 

"Now,  you  know  how  much  you  have  suffered  by  this  bereavement. 
From  the  intensity  of  your  anguish,  learn  the  intensity  of  that  poison 
which  has  infused  all  this  bitterness  into  your  cup.  If,  in  this  world, 
sin  can  produce  so  much  sorrow,  what  are  we  to  expect  from  it  in  a 
•\vorld  of  righteous  retribution,  where  it  is  to  receive  according  to  its 
nature  and  deserts.  It  has  occasioned  you  an  awful  loss  here,  the  loss 
of  a  wife  ;  it  will  occasion  you  hereafter,  if  not  renounced  and  forsaken, 
the  still  more  awful  loss  of  your  soul  and  God ;  and  you  will  be  made 
to  feel  these  losses  there  with  a  weight  of  sorrow  compared  to  which 
your  present  agony  is  joy.  In  all  your  distresses,  see  sin  as  the  cause  ; 
from  what  it  has  cost  you,  learn  to  hate  it,  and  to  flee  from  it.  Unless  this 
lesson  is  mastered,  the  rod  has  been  in  vain. 

"In  the  next  place,  you  should  learn  that  man's  portion  is  not  here 
below.  This  is  neither  our  home  nor  our  rest.  How  forcibly  has  this 
been  impressed  upon  you!  You  had  a  pet  lamb;  you  loved  it,  and 
nursed  it,  and  watched  it ;  you  garnered  your  affections  upon  it,  and 
rejoiced  in  the  consciousness  that  this  beautiful  and  lovely  creature  you 
could  call  your  own.  God  took  it  at  the  very  height  of  your  self-satis 
faction  ;  and  all  to  teach  you  that  you  were  to  have  no  pet  lamb  of  your 
own,  but  that  you  must  regard  supremely  His  own  Lamb,  the  Lamb  of 
God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.  You  were  making  your 
self  warm  in  your  nest,  and  God  has  stirred  it  up,  and  driven  you  from 
it.  He  has  been  teaching  you  the  great  truth,  that  life  is  a  pilgrimage  ; 
that  we  are  strangers  and  sojourners  here,  and  that  we  must  seek  a  city 


422  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

which  hath  foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God.  If  you  can 
only  now  be  disgusted  with  sin,  and  allured  to  thoughts  of  the  heavenly 
city,  you  can  have  no  difficulty  in  the  way  of  life,  which  is  none  other 
than  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and  this  consideration  suggests  the  last 
thought  which  I  wish  now  to  commend  to  your  attention.  It  is  the 
importance  of  a  personal  communion  with  Jesus.  He  was  a  man  of 
sorrows ;  he  knew  what  affliction  and  distress  meant.  Your  cup  is 
sweetness  compared  to  His ;  and  all,  that  He  might  be  a  merciful  and 
faithful  High  Priest.  He  is  the  Friend  of  sinners.  Go  to  Him  ;  He 
will  receive  you  kindly  and  tenderly  ;  He  will  enter  into  your  griefs ; 
He  will  soothe  your  woe ;  and  give  you  the  oil  of  grace  for  the  spirit  of 
heaviness.  You  need  just  such  a  friend.  Look  away  from  men,  and 
fix  your  eye  and  your  heart  steadily  upon  Jesus ;  and  you  will  find  one 
who  is  more  than  father,  or  mother,  or  wife,  or  sister ;  who  sticketh 
closer  than  a  brother.  Do  this,  and  your  soul  shall  live. 

' '  I  have  written  to  you,  Donnom,  these  hurried  lines,  from  a  sincere 
desire  to  minister  to  your  profit.  I  have  always  loved  you,  and  have  often 
prayed  for  you ;  but  I  love  you  more,  and  pray  for  you  more  tenderly, 
now,  since  the  Lord's  hand  is  upon  you.  It  may  be  that  my  plain  deal 
ing  may  offend  you.  If  so,  I  shall  regret  it ;  there  is  nothing  farther 
from  my  heart  than  to  give  you  pain.  Your  sorrow  is  sacred  in  my 
eyes ;  but  I  have  seen  your  danger  and  your  snare,  and  I  have  endea 
voured  faithfully  to  put  you  on  your  guard.  I  would  have  preferred 
talking  with  you,  but  your  brief  stay  precluded  that.  May  the  Lord 
bless  you,  and  guide  you,  and  keep  you,  and  make  all  things  work  to 
your  good  and  His  own  glory. 

"Most  sincerely,  your  friend, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

The  following  letter,  to  the  Kev.  Dr.  Adger,  discloses 
his  views  upon  a  grave  public  question,  at  that  time  some 
what  agitated  in  political  circles : 

"  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINAKY,  December  10,  1856. 

"  MY  DEAB  BKOTHEE  :  Send  your  article  by  the  first  of  January.  My 
judgment  and  my  feelings  are  decidedly  opposed  to  the  slave  trade,  in 
every  respect  in  which  the  subject  can  be  viewed,  and  I  am  sorry  that  it 
has  been  agitated  at  all.  In  the  first  place,  it  would  change  the  whole 
character  of  the  institution,  as  it  exists  amongst  us.  It  is  now  domestic 
and  patriarchal ;  the  slave  has  all  the  family  associations,  and  family 
pride,  and  sympathies  of  the  master.  He  is  born  in  the  house,  and 
bred  with  the  children.  The  sentiments  which  spring  from  this  circum 
stance,  in  the  master  and  the  slave,  soften  all  the  asperities  of  the  rela 
tion,  and  secure  obedience  as  a  sort  of  filial  respect.  This  humanizing 
element  would  be  lost,  the  moment  we  cease  to  rear  our  slaves,  and  rely 
upon  a  foreign  market.  In  the  next  place,  it  would  render  the  institu- 


SEMINARY  LIFE.  423 

tion  positively  dangerous.  Lawless  savages  imported  from  Africa, 
many  of  whom  have  been  accustomed  to  command,  to  war  and  to  cru 
elty,  and  none  of  whom  have  been  accustomed  to  work,  would  be  about 
the  surest  instruments  of  insubordination  and  rebellion  that  could  be 
desired.  We  should  have  to  resort  to  a  standing  army,  as  they  do  in  the 
West  Indies,  to  keep  our  plantations  in  order.  In  the  third  place,  the 
whole  thing  proceeds  on  a  blunder.  Capital  and  labour  with  us  are  not 
distinct.  The  slave  is  as  really  capital,  as  he  is  a  labourer.  To  reduce 
his  value,  therefore,  is  not  simply  to  cheapen  labour,  it  is  to  reduce  the 
amount  of  capital.  The  country  will  be  no  richer  by  the  foreign  impor 
tations.  In  the  fourth  place,  it  will  operate  as  a  constant  cause  of  wars 
and  seditions  in  Africa,  and  will  involve  largely  the  additional  crime  of 
man-stealing.  These  are  mere  hints,  but  they  show  my  way  of  thinking. 
I  have  expressed  my  opinions  freely  to  the  Governor  himself,  whom  I 
highly  esteem.  The  sentiments  of  the  State  will  revolt  at  the  thing  ;  it 
cannot  go. 

"In  relation  to  yourself,  the  difficulties  which  are  gathering,  or  have 
gathered  around  you,  only  render  your  duty  the  more  manifest.  Your 
external  call*  was  clear  and  unambiguous  ;  it  was  indeed  very  remarkable. 
The  internal  one  must  be  equally  obvious,  if  you  will  only  reflect  upon 
the  state  of  your  own  mind  beforehand.  You  wanted  the  door  open,  and 
you  professed  a  willingness  to  make  any  sacrifice  to  enter  it.  God  has 
opened  it,  and  put  you  to  the  trial.  He  has  thought  you  worth  trying, 
and  therefore  father,  and  brother,  and  sister  are  permitted  to  rise  up 
against  you,  to  give  you  the  opportunity  of  showing  that  His  voice  is 
louder  in  your  ears  than  theirs.  The  case  to  me  is  very  plain,  and  I 
shall  really  tremble  for  you,  if  you  decline.  Your  mouth  must  be  shut 
against  any  prayer  hereafter  for  a  field  of  ministerial  labour.  God  may 
say,  '  I  called,  and  ye  refused.' 

"Most  devotedly,  your  friend, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

On  being  returned  to  the  Assembly  of  1857,  at  Lex 
ington,  Kentucky,  Dr.  Thornwell  made  a  tour  of  more 
than  two  months  through  parts  of  Alabama,  Mississippi, 
and  Tennessee,  in  behalf  of  the  Seminary  at  Columbia. 
His  object  was  to  awaken  a  more  general  interest  in  its 
welfare,  and  to  complete  its  endowment,  which  had  been 
successfully  initiated  by  other  parties  visiting  the  so.uth- 
west.  His  preaching  was  attended  with  great  power 
wherever  he  went ;  and  in  the  freedom  of  epistolary  inter- 

*  His  election  to  the  chair  of  Church  History  and  Government  in  the 
Theological  Seminary,  recently  vacant  by  the  writer's  removal  to  his 
present  field  of  labour. 


4:24  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

course  lie  refers,  with  humble  gratitude,  to  the  universal 
acceptance  of  his  labours.  A  warm  friend  of  his  in  earlier 
days  thus  speaks  of  his  visit  to  him  in  Mississippi :  "I 
was  enthusiastic  in  my  love  and  admiration  for  him. 
After  my  removal  from  South  Carolina  to  Mississippi  I 
often  told  my  friends  here  of  his  powers.  At  length,  one 
gentleman,  an  eminent  lawyer,  and  a  particular  friend, 
told  me  that  he  thought  my  enthusiasm  led  me  to  exag 
gerate.  A  few  days  after  this  conversation,  I  received  a 
letter  from  Dr.  Thornwell,  informing  me  that  he  would 
pay  me  a  visit  on  his  way  to  the  General  Assembly  at 
Lexington.  I  called  on  my  friend,  and  told  him  that  he 
would  soon  see  and  hear  for  himself.  He  came  according 
to  promise,  and  preached  twice  each  of  two  Sabbaths,  and 
twice  through  the  week.  The  community  was  held  en 
tranced  by  his  pulpit  discourses ;  and  after  he  left,  my 
friend  voluntarily  said  to  me,  "  you  did  not  tell  the  fourth 
part." 

His  letters,  written  home  during  this  absence,  are  ad 
dressed  often  to  his  children,  and  adapted  in  their  style 
to  their  different  ages.  We  present  brief  extracts,  only 
for  the  purpose  of  bringing  him  more  distinctly  before 
the  reader  in  his  family  relations. 

The  first  is  to  his  son,  Gillespie,  twelve  years  old. 

"  TUSCUMBIA,  ALA.,  May  4,  1857. 

"  MY  DEAR  BOY  :  If  you  will  take  a  map,  and  look  upon  that  part  of 
the  State  of  Alabama  which  lies  upon  the  Tennessee  river,  and  is  near 
to  the  States  of  Mississippi  and  Tennessee,  you 'will  see  where  your 
father  is.  The  river  is  a  noble  stream.  Steamboats  run  up  it  for  nearly 
five  hundred  miles.  In  some  places,  it  lies  between  banks  of  mountains 
of  limestone,  and  you  see  tall  mountains  lying  on  both  sides  of  it  in  the 
distance.  It  abounds  in  fish.  I  have  seen  whole  wagon  loads  caught  in 
it  in  a  short  time  ;  and  you  would  enjoy  yourself  very  much  here  with 
a  hook  and  line.  Between  Tuscumbia  and  Florence  the  river  is  nearly 
a  mile  wide,  and  we  have  to  cross  it  in  a  little  steamboat.  The  whole 
region  is  full  of  limestone,  and  abounds  in  bold  springs.  There  is  a  spring 
here  which  runs  almost  like  a  river ;  boats  come  to  its  very  head,  and 
it  will  often  swim  a  horse.  The  water  is  clear  as  cyrstal,  and  gushes 
from  r.  solid  bed  of  rock.  This  spring  supplies  the  whole  town  of  Tus- 


SEMINARY  LIFE.  425 

cumbia  with  water.  In  wet  weather  the  country  is  very  muddy ;  and 
the  lime  makes  the  mud  stick  more  than  it  sticks  in  Lancaster.  But  it 
keeps  the  soil  from  washing  away.  They  have  no  large  gullies  in  the 
fields,  like  we  have  in  the  Waxhaws.  It  is  a  beautiful  region. 

I  spent  night  before  last  with  Dr. ,  and  I  was  delighted  to  find  that 

his  oldest  boy  was  a  professor  of  religion.  I  thought  what  a  comfort  it 
would  be  to  me  to  have  my  oldest  boy,  as  indeed  all  my  children,  chil 
dren  of  God.  Begin  now,  my  son,  to  fear  and  love  and  serve  the  God 
of  your  father.  Do  nothing  which  your  Bible  condemns.  Pray  from 
the  heart;  and  earnestly  seek  that  you  may  have  a  heart  that  loves  to 
pray.  *  *  *  The  Lord  bless  you,  and  make  you  a  blessing  to  your 

fellow  men. 

"Your  affectionate  father,  . 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

The  next  is  to  one  of  his  daughters : 

"  HOLLY  SPKINGS,  Miss.,  May  14,  1857. 

"  MY  DEAR  PATTIE  :  I  received  your  welcome  letter  to-day ;  and  though 
I  wrote  to  Jennie  this  morning,  I  cannot  refrain  from  dropping  you  a 
line  to-night.  Your  letter  was  a  great  comfort  to  me  ;  and  I  was  particu 
larly  delighted  at  your  saying  that  you  wanted  to  be  a  Christian,  and 
that  you  hoped' to  be  one  soon.  Nothing  would  do  me  so  much  good  as 
to  see  my  dear  little  daxighter  converted  to  God.  The  Lord  has  pro 
mised  His  grace  to  those  who  seek  Him  early.  You  cannot  begin  too 
soon.  For,  lovely  as  you  are  in  my  eyes,  you  are  a  sinner  in  the  sight 
of  God ;  and  your  first  care  should  be  to  obtain  pardon  through  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  to  get  a  new  heart.  Pray  to  God,  for  Christ's  sake,  to 
give  you  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  will  be  willing  to  hear  the  prayers  of  a 
child.  Study  your  Bible,  and  try  to  trust  in  the  Saviour.  Give  yourself  to 
Him ;  and  beg  Him  to  save  you,  and  make  you  a  true  child  of  God.  *  * 

"  I  love  to  read  your  letters.  I  did  not  know  that  you  could  write  so 
well.  And  now,  my  dear  child,  may  God  bless  you  and  keep  you,  and 
lead  you  in  the  way  everlasting.  I  sincerely  pray  that  I  may  find  you  a 
Christian  when  I  come  back  home. 

"  Your  affectionate  father, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

To  Mrs.  Thdrnwell : 

"MEMPHIS,  TENN.,  May  18,  1857. 

"MY  DEAREST  WIFE:  I  reached  here  on  Friday  night,  and  spent 
Saturday  in  looking  around  this  young  and  flourishing  city,  which, 
within  a  quarter  of  a  century,  has  sprung  up  like  magic,  and  is  daily  in 
creasing  in  an  astonishing  ratio.  To  have  an  idea  of  the  real  progress 
of  our  country,  one  must  come  to  the  West.  He  will  see  the  reason  why 
we  are  compared  to  a  young  giant.  On  Saturday  morning  I  saw  the 
Mississippi  river  for  the  first  time.  It  was  in  its  glory  j  almost  to  high 


426  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

water  mark ;  and  well  deserves  the  name  of  the  Father  of  Waters.  Mem 
phis  contains  about  eighteen  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  as  well  sup 
plied  with  churches  as  most  of  our  older  cities.  It  has  the  appearance 
of  great  activity  and  enterprise ;  everything  is  full  of  life  and  bustle. 

"  The  scale  on  which  they  make  cotton  in  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  and 
Arkansas,  reduces  us  in  South  Carolina  to  mere  pigmies.  A  man  who 
does  not  make  a  thousand  bales,  weighing  five  hundred  pounds  apiece, 
is  a  small  planter.  Some  make  upwards  of  three  thousand  bags.  Their 
trades  are  on  an  equal  scale.  They  talk  of  a  hundred  thousand  dollars 
as  we' talk  of  a  thousand;  and  they  think  no  more  of  a  draft  of  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  than  a  prosperous  planter  in  South  Carolina  would 
think  of  five  thousand.  *  *  * 

' '  I  preached  yesterday  to  a  large  and  attentive  congregation.  Both 
the  Presbyterian  churches  here  are  jstrong  and  influential  bodies.  My 
trip  to  the  West  has  impressed  me  more  than  ever  with  the  importance 
of  our  Seminary.  The  gospel  must  keep  pace  with  the  tide  of  popula 
tion  ;  the  hope  of  our  country  depends  upon  its  being  pervaded  with  the 
spirit  and  institutions  of  Christianity.  And  I  think  I  have  a  clear  notion 
of  what  sort  of  preachers  we  want.  I  feel  that  we  have  a  great  work  to 
do  ;  and  I  am  resolved,  in  God's  strength,  to  gird  up  my  loins  and  set 
about  it.  I  have  made  several  acquaintances  here.  The  Lord  has  raised 
me  up  friends  wherever  I  have  gone.  He  has  truly  sent  His  angel  be 
fore  me,  to  keep  me  in  the  way,  and  to  bring  me  from  place  to  place. 
Every  day  adds  some  new  memorial  of  His  goodness.  I  leave  this  after 
noon  for  Kentucky  ;  and  I  sincerely  trust  that  the  same  goodness,  which 
has  followed  me  hitherto,  will  conduct  me  still. 

' '  I  presume  that  this  letter  will  find  you  at  home ;  biit  you  may  be  in 
Sumter.  My  heart  is  with  you,  wherever  you  go.  I  earnestly  pray  that 
your  health  may  be  preserved,  and  that  your  soul  may  prosper.  I  can 
not  tell  you  how  often  and  how  tenderly  you  are  in  my  thoughts  and  my 
prayers.  The  Lord  has  greatly  blessed  me  in  my  family,  and  I  feel  my 
self  utterly  unworthy  of  His  kindness.  My  journey  has  been  sanctified 
to  me,  in  bringing  me  much  into  communion  with  my  own  heart,  and 
revealing  to  me  my  spiritual  wants  and  defects.  I  am  resolved,  by  God's 
grace,  to  live  a  holier  and  more  devoted  life.  I  want  to  be  entirely  con 
secrated  to  God,  weaned  from  self,  from  pride  and  vanity,  and  know 
ing  nothing  but  Christ  and  Him  crucified.  Pray  for  me,  my  dearest 
love,  for  I  need  much  prayer.  God  bless  you,  and_  comfort  you  and 

keep  you. 

"  Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

To  the  same: 

"  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY,  LEXINGTON,  May  26,  1857. 
"Mr  DEAREST  LOVE:    I  seize  a  moment  amid  the  business  of  the 
Assembly,  and  while  a  member  is  making  a  long-winded  speech,  to  hold 
communion  with  the  being  who  is  dearest  to  me  of  alt  other  beings  on 


SEMINARY  LIFE.  427 

earth.  Your  letter  from  Sumter  has  been  received,  and  you  have  a 
thousand  thanks  for  its  precious  contents.  I  trust  that  I  am  uufeignedly 
thankful  to  God  for  all  His  mercies  to  me  ;  and  especially  in  the  restora 
tion  and  preservation  of  your  health,  and  for  the  health  of  all  my  chil 
dren  and  servants,  since  I  left  home.  I  have  a  very  pleasant  time  here  ; 
meeting  many  acquaintances,  and  receiving  a  thousand  marks  of  kind 
ness  and  esteem.  The  Lord  has  enabled  me  to  preach  with  great  accep 
tance. 

"  We  had  a  fine  day  yesterday.  It  was  devoted  entirely  to  the  subject 
of  Foreign  Missions.  I  made  a  speech,  which  I  hope  the  Lord  blessed 
to  the  good  of  us  all.  I  go  next  Sunday  to  Cincinnati,  and  preach  there. 
I  have  so  many  solicitations  to  preach  at  different  places,  that  it  hum 
bles  me  to  think  how  much  God  honours  me  when  I  am  so  unworthy. 
The  only  setting  down  that  I  have  had  in  the  way  of  compliment  was 
the  question  which  was  asked,  if  I  did  not  wear  a  wig.  But  I  am 
thought  to  be  much  younger  looking  than  was  expected.  Everybody 
inquires  after  you.  There  is  a  great  curiosity  to  see  you,  as  it  is  thought 
you  must  be  a  very  remarkable  woman.  I  tell  the  people  that  I  have 
the  greatest  wife  in  the  world,  and  they  all  believe  it.  Much  love  to  all 
the  children ;  kiss  them  all,  and  remember  me  to  the  servants. 
' *  Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 


To  the  same : 

"STEAMER  'EMPRESS,'  OHIO  KIVER,  June  5,  1857. 

"Mr  DEAREST  LOVE:  I  was  so  beset  and  occupied  with  calls  the  day 
that  I  left  Lexington,  that  I  had  not  time  to  write  to  you  what  my  heart 
prompted  me  to  say.  We  had  a  most  delightful  meeting  of  the  Assem 
bly.  The  Lord  gave  me  special  favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  people  ;  and  I 
sincerely  trust  that  every  sermon  which  I  preached  was  accompanied 
with  His  blessing.  I  preached  one  night  to  the  students  of  Transylva 
nia  University  ;  and  as  I  was  leaving  Lexington,  I  received  a  letter  from 
them,  at  the  hands  of  a  committee,  beautifully  and  touchingly  written, 
begging  me  to  accept  a  splendid  silver  pitcher,  which  I  had  work  to  get 
into  my  trunk.  I  have  said  nothing  about  it,  as  I  do  not  like  to  make 
a  blowing-horn  of  such  things ;  but  I  know  it  will  be  gratifying  to  you 
to  learn  that  the  Lord  has  prospered  my  way. 

"  We  are  now  on  the  river ;  and  the  weather  for  two  days  has  been  so 
cold  that  we  have  found  fires  necessary  to  our  comfort.  I  am  afraid 
that  we  shall  not  be  able  to  get  beyond  Memphis  for  Sunday.  *  *  * 
1  dread  the  trip  which  I  have  to  make  ;  but  the  interests  of  the  Seminary 
will  be  greatly  promoted  by  it.  I  have  done  much  good  already.  Kiss 
all  the  children  for  me,  from  Nannie  down.  God  grant  that  they  may  all 
be  children  of  His  grace !  Tell  the  boys  that  I  am  particularly  anxious 
to  hear  good  reports  from  them.  They  must  not  pass  a  day  without 


4:28  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HEXLEY  THORNWELL. 

reading  their  Bibles,  and  calling  upon  God  in  prayer.     Kemember  me- 
also  to  the  servants.     And  now,  dearest,  may  the  Lord  be  with  you,  and 
keep  you,  and  bless  you,  and  lead  you  in  the  way  everlasting ! 
"Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THOENWELL." 

The  only  part  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Assembly  of 
1857  with  which  these  Memoirs  are  concerned,  was  the 
appointment  of  a  Committee  to  revise  the  Book  of  Disci 
pline,  with  Dr.  Thornwell  as  its  Chairman.  The  subject 
came  up  before  the  Assembly  through  two  overtures,  one 
from  Dr.  R.  J.  Breckinridge,  proposing  a  change  from 
Presbyterial  to  Synodical  representation,  and  a  limitation.' 
of  the  General  Assembly  to  fifty  ministers  and  fifty  ruling 
elders,  each;  the  other  from  the  Presbytery  of  Phila 
delphia,  proposing  a  form  of  judicial  proceedings.  The 
first  suggestion  was,  to  commit  these  topics  to  suitable 
men  for  consideration,  who  should  report  to  the  next 
Assembly.  This  was  enlarged  so  as  to  require  an  ex 
amination  and  revision  of  the  whole  Book  of  Discipline. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Hoge,  of  Ohio,'  proposed  to  add  the  Form 
of  Government  also  as  a  subject  for  revision,  which  was- 
resisted  by  Dr.  Thornwell,  on  the  ground  that  the  Church 
was  not  yet  prepared  for  this.  This  measure  was  there 
fore  dropped,  and  the  Book  of  Discipline  was  put  for 
revision  into  the  hands  of  a  committee,  consisting  of 
Rev.  Drs.  Thornwell,  Breckinridge,  Hodge,  Hoge,  McGill, 
Swift,  and  Judges  Sharswood,  Allen,  and  Leavitt.  It 
may  be  added,  that  the  subject  continued  to  be  under 
discussion  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  and  the 
separation  of  the  Southern  Church  from  the  Northern, 
It  was  taken  up  in  the  Southern  Assembly  after  its  or 
ganization,  under  a  committee  of  its  own,  which  reported 
a  revised  code  for  adoption.  The  Presbyteries  not  being; 
sufficiently  agreed,  the  work  was  laid  by;  and  thus  the 
matter  at  present  rests.  The  reader  will  be  interested  in 
the  following  letter  from  the  lamented  Dr.  Van  Rensse- 
laer,  the  Moderator  by  whom  the  appointment  of  the 


SEMINARY  LIFE. 

original  committee  was  made.     It  is  addressed  to  Dr. 
Thorn  well: 

"PHILADELPHIA,  August  10,  1857. 

"MY  DEAR  BROTHER:  J.  feel  some  solicitude  about  the  results  of  the 
action  of  the  committee,  appointed  by  the  last  Assembly,  to  revise  our 
Book  of  Discipline.  I  say  solicitude,  chiefly  because  I  had  the  responsi 
bility  of  the  appointment  of  the  committee,  as  Moderator.  On  reviewing 
the  whole  matter  frequently,  I  have  always  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
I  couJd  not  have  done  better.  I  firmly  believe  that  it  is  in  your  power 
to  bring  in  a  report  satisfactory  to  the  great  body  of  our  people.  The 
reasons  why  I  named  you  as  chairman  were,  first,  your  conservative 
views  on  the  subject  of  altering  our  Book;  second,  your  influence  in 
carrying  the  question  in  the  Assembly ;  third,  the  great  confidence  and 
love  of  the  Church  towards  you,  and  the  respect  entertained  of  your 
mental  endowments ;  fourth,  I  wished  to  avoid  the  appearance  of  giving 
too  much  predominance  \o  this  section  of  the  Church ;  fifth,  I  was 
strongly  drawn  towards  you  that  night,  by  an  influence  which  seemed  to 
me  more  like  a  special  Divine  influence  than  anything  I  remember  to 
have  experienced  during  my  whole  life.  My  mind  was  led  to  you,  and 
to  none  but  you. 

"Under  these  circumstances,  I  have  a  strong  desire  to  see  the  work 
done,  and  done  by  you ;  and  I  believe  that,  under  God,  you  can  do  it. 
Alterations  in  the  book  are  unquestionably  called  for ;  and  if  they  are 
made  with  judgment  and  decision,  and  are  not  too  numerous,  the  Pres 
byteries  will  adopt  them." 

Here  follow  some  matters  of  detail,  as  to  the  meeting 
of  the  committee.  The  letter  concludes  : 

"Praying  that  you  may  fulfil  the  best  hopes  of  the  Church  in  the  im 
portant  work  committed  to  your  care,  I  am, 

' '  Yours  respectfully  and  fraternally, 

C.  VAN  KENSSELAER." 

Although  Dr.  Thornwell  had  occupied  the  chair  of 
Didactic  and  Polemic  Theology  in  the  Seminary,  from 
the  beginning  of  1856,  his  inauguration,  as  a  matter  of 
form,  did  not  take  place  till  near  the  close  of  the  second 
year  of  his  incumbency.  On  the  13th  of  October,  1857, 
in  the  presence  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  and  of  many  of 
the  members  of  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina,  he  delivered 
•his  Inaugural  Discourse,  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  Co 
lumbia,  South  Carolina.  The  services  were  solemn  and 
imposing  throughout.  A  felicitous  charge  was  first  given, 


430  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Smyth,  of  Charleston,  to  the  Professor 
elect  ;*  who  then  publicly  subscribed  the  formula  prescribed 
in  the  Seminary  constitution,  binding  him  to  teach  nothing 
contrary  to  the  standards  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  discourse  then  pronounced  had  been  written  at  a 
single  sitting  the  preceding  night,  but,  as  he  said,  "  with 
his  mind  at  a  white  heat;"  and  though  occupying  but  ten 
pages  in  the  first  volume  of  his  "  Collected  Writings,"  in 
the  expanded  form  in  which  it  was  delivered,  without 
notes,  one  hour  and  a  half  were  consumed,  without  weari 
ness  to  his  delighted  auditors.  The  subject  was  as  com 
prehensive  as  it  was  appropriate :  "  The  Scope  of  The 
ology:  its  claims  to  be  considered  as  a  science,  and  the 
principle  which  should  regulate  the  arrangement  of  the 
parts,  and  their  combination  into  a  complete  and  har 
monious  whole."  The  subject,  the  occasion,  and  the 
speaker,  were  alike  worthy  of  each  other,  and  the  scene 
one  never  to  be  forgotten  by  those  who  were  privileged 
to  witness  it. 

It  is  proper  to  state  that,  about  this  date,  during  the 
summer  or  autumn  of  1857,  the  additional  title  of  Doctor 
of  Laws  was  conferred  upon  him,  we  believe,  by  Ogle- 
thorpe  University,  of  Georgia.  There  being  nothing  in 
the  papers  we  have  in  our  hands  to  fix  either  the  date  or 
the  source  of  this  academic  distinction,  we  are  forced  to 
rely  upon  the  impressions  of  his  friends  as  to  the  latter, 
and  upon  a  comparison  of  dates  for  the  former. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 
SEMINARY  LIFE  CONTINUED. 

VISITS  THE  SOUTHWEST  ON  BEHALF  or  THE  SEMINARY. —IMPRESSIONS 
OF  NEW  ORLEANS. — EFFECT  OF  His  PREACHING. — DEATH  OF  His 
FRIEND,  REV.  MR.  BISHOP. — LETTER  TO  His  WIDOW. — ASSEMBLY  OF 
1859. — His  REPORT  ON  REVISION. — REMARKABLE  SPEECH  IN  THE  AS 
SEMBLY. — LETTERS  FROM  INDIANAPOLIS. — RETURN  HOME. — DEATH  OF 
His  OLDEST  DAUGHTER. — AFFECTING  CIRCUMSTANCES  ATTENDING  IT. 
His  AFFLICTION  AND  RESIGNATION. — LETTER  DETAILING  HER  SICKNESS 
AND  DEATH. — ANXIETY  FOR  THE  CONVERSION  OF  His  CHILDREN. — LET 
TER  OF  SYMPATHY. — ASSEMBLY  OF  1800. — His  DEBATE  WITH  DR.  HODGE 
ON  THE  QUESTION  OF  BOARDS. 

IN  the  early  part  of  the  year  1858,  Dr.  Thornwell 
visited  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  in  the  interest  of  the 
Seminary  at  Columbia.  It  had  always  been  the  design 
of  this  institution  to  extend  its  influence  over  the  entire 
Southwest,  which  seemed  to  be  the  territory  from  which 
its  patronage  should  largely  be  drawn.  As  early  as 
1855,  a  deputation  had  been  sent  to  the  churches  in  this 
region,  to  draw  more  closely  the  bonds  of  sympathy  and 
union.  Dr.  Thornwell's  mission  was,  however,  to  the 
Synod  of  Mississippi,  which  met,  later  than  usual,  at  New 
Orleans.  It  was  the  author's  unspeakable  pleasure  to 
receive  the  friend  whom  he  loved  into  his  home  as  a 
guest,  and  to  hear  his  voice  proclaiming  the  gospel  of  the 
grace  of  God,  as  in  former  years,  from  his  own  pulpit. 
The  few  discourses  which  his  strength  enabled  him  to 
deliver,  are  held  in  sweet  remembrance  by  many  at  this 
day ;  and  are  mentioned  still  as  the  standard — the  highest 
they  had  ever  known — of  what  pulpit  eloquence  should 
be.  The  brief  letters  of  this  date  will  convey  his  own 
impressions  of  what  he  heard  and  saw;  mutilated,  as 
these  letters  must  be,  of  all  personal  reference  to  him  by 
whose  hand  they  are  here  transcribed: 

431 


432        LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 


OELEANS,  January  12,  1858. 

"My  BEAKEST  WIFE  :  The  Synod  of  Mississippi  adjourned  last  night 
about  eleven  o'clock.  My  meeting  with  the  brethren  has  been  very 
pleasant,  and  my  mission  for  the  Seminary  far  more  successful  than  I 
had  any  right  to  expect.  Our  proposition  was  not  accepted,  to  have 
this  Synod  adopt  the  Seminary,  as  Alabama  had  done  ;  but  resolutions 
were  unanimously  passed,  expressing  confidence  in  us,  commending  us 
to  the  churches,  and  declaring  that  it  was  never  the  purpose  of  the  Sy 
nod  to  tie  itself  to  Danville.  We  have  gained  more  than  might  have 
been  expected,  when  the  efforts  of  Danville  for  several  years  are  con 
sidered,  and  the  resolutions  of  two  other  meetings  of  Synod  in  favour 
of  Danville  are  taken  into  the  account.  If  I  had  not  come,  we  should 
have  been  apt  to  lose  Mississippi  entirely.  As  it  is,  the  country  is  now 
pretty  safe. 

"I  had  a  meeting  yesterday  evening  of  the  leading  gentlemen  con 
nected  with  Dr,  Palmer's  church,  and  laid  the  claims  of  the  Seminary  . 
before  them.  They  were  very  cordial,  even  warm  and  zealous  in  our 
favour.  They  advised  me  to  remain  another  Sunday,  and  to  make  the 
same  statement  to  the  public  which  I  made  to  them.  They  thought 
that  the  impression  would  be  very  happy,  and  that  I  would  prepare 
the  way  for  a  handsome  donation,  as  soon  as  the  present  pressure  was 
in  some  degree  relieved.  My  aim  is  to  get  New  Orleans  to  shoulder  the 
debt  for  Dr.  Smyth's  library  ;  that  is,  to  guarantee  to  us  fifteen  thou 
sand  dollars  principal,  and  the  interest  until  it  is  all  paid.  I  think 
they  will  do  it  ;  and  if  they  do,  I  shall  feel  that  I  have  been  enabled,  by 
the  blesing  of  God,  to  accomplish  a  most  important  work  here.  My 
next  effort  will  be  at  Mobile.  I  intended  to  be  there  next  Sunday,  but 
this  new  arrangement  will  throw  me  back  a  week  later.  Anxious  as  I 
am  to  be  at  home,  I  feel  that,  while  I  am  out,  it  is  my  duty  to  explore 
the  field,  and  do  what  I  can.  My  own  fireside  is  all  the  world  to  me. 
Still  I  am  glad  that  I  have  made  so  many  interesting  acquaintances.  It 
has  enlarged  my  sphere  of  usefulness.  *  *  * 
"  Your  devoted  husband, 

"  J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

To  the  same  : 

"NEW  OELEANS,  January  15,  1858. 

"My  DEAKEST  WIFE  :  It  seems  to  me  almost  a  year  since  I  left  you  and 
the  little  ones  at  home.  *  *  But  I  am  reconciled  to  my  long  and  dreary 
absence  by  reflecting  that  I  am  on  the  Lord's  business,  and  that  I  am 
promoting  the  interests  and  glory  of  His  kingdom.  My  visit  here  has 
been  of  signal  benefit  to  the  Seminary.  The  people  here  have  received 
me  with  open  arms  ;  and  my  only  regret  is,  that  I  have  not  been  able  to 
labour  more  efficiently  among  them.  I  have  suffered  very  much  from  a 
bad  cold  ;  and  the  weather  has  beqn  so  wet  and  warm,  that  I  can  make 
very  little  headway  in  recovering.  The  climate  here  is  like  spring  , 


BEMINARY  LIFE.  433 

flowers  are  blooming,  trees  budding;  English  peas,  lettuce,  and  spring 
vegetables,  are  abundant.  So  far  from  needing  fire,  most  of  the  day  we 
have  to  leave  the  windows  open.  It  is,  no  doub't,  unusually  warm  ;  but 
the  climate  is  far  milder  than  ours.  But  the  moisture  is  very  great.  The 
ground  is  saturated  with  water;  and,  where  they  are  not  paved,  the 
streets  are  intolerably  muddy  and  nasty.  *  *  * 

"I  shall  leave  here  on  Monday  or  Tuesday,  for  Mobile.  How  long  I 
shall  remain  there,  I  cannot  say,  until  I  feel  the  pulse  of  the  people. 
Kiss  the  children  for  me,  and  accept  any  quantity  of  love  for  yourself ; 

and  believe  me, 

"Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

The  next  letter  is  addressed  to  one  of  his  daughters : 

"MOBILE,  January  20,  1858. 

"Mr  DEAR  DAUGHTER:  I  received  your  welcome  and  affectionate 
letter  yesterday,  just  as  I  was  leaving  New  Orleans ;  and  was  rejoiced  to 
hear  that  you  were  well,  and  were  gratified  with  your  visit  to  Abbeville. 
I  was  particularly  delighted  that  you  prized  so  highly  the  privilege  of  the 
Lord's  Supper.  It  is  indeed  a  feast  to  those  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  in  sincerity  and  truth.  He  is  the  food  of  our  souls.  To  His  pre 
cious  blood  we  look  for  pardon  ;  to  His  righteousness,  for  favoiir ;  and  to 
His  Spirit,  for  holiness.  He  is  as  willing,  as  He  is  able,  to  bless  us ;  and 
it  is  a  glorious  thing  when  we  can  resign  ourselves  into  His  hands,  feeling 
that  we  are  nothing,  and  that  He  is  everything.  Endeavour,  my  dear 
child,  to  live  close  to  Him,  and  to  seek  His  guidance  'and  His  favour  in 
everything.  Confide  in  Him  as  a  friend,  and  trust  Him  with  all  your 
cares.  Lean  upon  Him,  as  you  would  lean  upon  your  father,  and  He  will 
keep  you  in  all  your  ways.  Never  forget  to  pray,  and  to  study  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  and  ask  for  light  to  understand  them. 

"  I  left  New  Orleans  yesterday,  after  a  pleasant  stay  of  two  weeks.  My 
mission  was  quite  successful.  The  people  have  determined  to  raise  there 
fifteen  thousand  doUars  for  the  Seminary,  certainly,  and  perhaps  more. 
They  were  very  cordial  to  me,  and  seemed  highly  edified  with  my 
preaching.  It  is  a  great  place,  and  one  of  the  widest  fields  of  usefulness 
on  our  continent.  *  *  * 

"  The  Lord  be  with  you  all,  and  bless  and  keep  you. 
"Your  affectionate  father, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

The  death  of  the  Rev.  Pierpont  Bishop  drew  forth  a 
letter  to  his  bereaved  widow,  in  which  are  expressed  his 
feelings  of  veneration  and  love  for  one  whose  depth  of 
piety  and  religious  zeal  never  failed  to  impress  those  to 
whom  he  was  known: 


434  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

"THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  March  9,  1859. 

"  MY  DEAR  MRS.  BISHOP  :  I  have  just  this  moment  received  the  painful 
intelligence  of  your  husband's  death.  Little  did  I  dream,  when  I  left 
him  on  Thursday  morning,  and  when  he  so  confidently  expected  to  visit 
us  in  May,  that  my  eyes  should  never  more  behold  his  venerated  form. 
Still  less  did  I  dream,  when  I  received,  two  weeks  ago,  a  letter  of  con 
dolence  and  of  sympathy  from  him,  that  I  should  so  soon  be  called  upon 
to  administer*  consolation  to  his  beloved  family.  I  need  not  say  to  you 
how  deeply  I  sympathize  with  you  in  your  sad  bereavement.  You  have 
reason  to  weep.  You  have  lost  one  who  has  left  few  equals  on  earth. 
He  was  a  man  of  God ;  a  man  whose  heart  was  in  heaven,  while  his  body 
freely  mingled  among  the  sons  of  men.  He  was  a  man  of  prayer,  full  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  full  of  zeal  in  his  Master's  cause,  and  full  of  charity  to 
his  fellow  men.  None  knew  him  without  loving  him ;  and  the  more 
they  knew,  the  more  they  loved  him.  I  always  esteemed  his  intimacy 
and  friendship  as  among  the  richest  blessings  of  my  life.  Your  loss  is 
great.  But  in  the  midst  of  your  sorrow  you  have  much  to  be  thankful 
for.  You  should  be  thankful  for  the  many  years  you  were  privileged  to 
enjoy  the  society,  guidance,  confidence,  and  love,  of  such  a  man.  It  was 
a  rich  boon,  and  a  boon  conferred  upon  very  few  of  your  sex.  You 
should  be  thankful  for  the  precious  memories  which  you  are  permitted 
to  cherish  of  his  conversation,  his  charities,  and  his  zeal.  You  should 
bless  God  for  the  noble  legacy  he  has  left  you  and  your  children,  in  a 
pure  example,  a  treasury  of  prayers,  and  a  hearty  consecration  of  you 
all  to  God.  Depend  upon  it,  you  have  been  highly  favoured ;  and  you 
must  not  forget  that,  if  your  affliction  is  unusually  severe,  it  is  only  be 
cause  your  blessings  have  been  pre-eminently  great.  You  know,  too, 
that  you  shall  see  him  again.  Those  who  sleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring 
with  Him.  He  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth ;  and  the  Saviour,  at  the  proper 
time  will  assuredly  wake  him  ;  and  you  shall  then  see  that  his  death,  at 
this  precise  juncture,  was  for  the  glory  of  God.  In  the  meanwhile  you 
are  not  a  widow  ;  for  the  Lord  Jehovah  promises  to  be  your  husband. 
Trust  in  Him,  make  His  promises  your  portion,  and,  above  all  things, 
murmur  not  against  His  will.  His  ways  may  be  in  the  dark  ;  but  infinite 
wisdom,  and  goodness,  and  love,  regulate  all  the  dispensations  of  His 
providence  to  His  children.  What  He  does,  you  may  not  know  now, 
but  you  shall  know  hereafter ;  and  when  you  come  to  understand  it, 
you  will  cordially  approve  it.  Trust,  therefore,  in  Him,  and  commit 
yourself  and  your  children  into  His  hands.  Could  your  husband  speak 
to  you  from  the  skies,  this  is  what  he  would  say  to  you. 

"  My  whole  family  deeply  sympathize  with  you.  Every  child  in  my 
household  loved  the  very  name  of  Bishop.  God  grant  that  we  may  all 
imitate  his  example,  and  follow  him  as  he  followed  Christ. 

"  I  have  written  in  great  haste,  upon  the  very  instant  of  receiving  the 
sad  news.  I  almost  regret  that  I  had  not  remained  to  pay  the  last  tri 
bute  of  respect  to  his  remains ;  and  yet  I  do  not  know  how  I  could  have 
borne  the  sad  spectacle.  I  apprehended  no  danger.  The  Lord  bless 


SEMINARY  LIFE.  435 

you  and  keep  you.  and  be  the  Guardian,  Friend,  and  everlasting  portion 
of  you  and  yours. 

"  Most  truly  your  friend, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

Dr.  Thorn  well  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly  of  1859, 
which  met  at  Indianapolis;  and  there,  as  chahman  of  the 
Committee  on  the  Revision  of  the  Book  of  Discipline, 
submitted  his  first  report.  The  subject,  after  full  dis 
cussion,  was  recommitted;  and  remained  in  the  hands 
of  the  Committee  until  the  war,  and  the  division  of  the 
Church,  which  that  necessitated,  in  1861.  Those  who 
desire  to  be  minutely  informed  of  the  changes  which 
were  proposed  in  the  revised  code,  are  referred  to  the 
full  exposition  and  defence  of  them  by  the  chairman,  as 
found  in  the  fourth  volume  of  his  "  Collected  Writings." 
They  were  intended  to  simplify  the  book ;  to  remove  am 
biguities;  to  state  more  accurately  what  are  "offences," 
in  the  view  of  our  standards;  to  adjust  the  relations  of 
the  lower  and  the  higher  courts,  in  cases  of  appeal;  to 
define  with  greater  exactness  the  sense  in  which  the  bap 
tized  and  non-communicating  members  of  the  Church  are 
under  its  discipline,  and  the  like.  The  intense  conserva 
tism  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  has  hitherto  resisted  all 
efforts  to  remove  even  the  acknowledged  defects  and 
anomalies  of  the  existing  book ;  and  that,  too,  in  the  face 
of  a  very  general  admission  that  most  of  the  changes, 
which  have  been  suggested  in  these  various  revisions,  are 
a  manifest  improvement.  The  writer  frankly  acknow 
ledges  himself  to  be  of  that  class,  who  would  hail  with 
delight  a  more  articulate  and  a  more  pronounced  exposi 
tion  of  our  principles  of  Church  Order  and  Government, 
as  these  have  been  elucidated  in  the  discussions  and  con 
troversies  of  the  last  thirty  years.  Both  in  Europe  and 
America,  the  Presbyterian  Church  has  been,  to  a  greater 
or  less  extent,  embarrassed  by  complications,  which  have 
hindered  the  fullest  expression  of  all  her  principles ;  and, 
in  the  struggle  to  emancipate  herself,  has  been  plunged 


4:36  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

into  controversies  which  have  brought  these  out  more  and 
more  distinctly  into  view.  In  the  Southern  branch  of 
the  Church,  a  degree  of  unanimity  prevails  upon  all  es 
sential  points,  most  favourable  to  an  authoritative  expo 
sition  of  them,  but  for  the  restraint  imposed  by  a  simple 
dread  of  the  spirit  of  restlessness  and  change.  The 
Church,  indeed,  is  safe  under  a  proper  and  strict  inter 
pretation  of  her  law,  as  it  stands;  but.it  would  be  an  im 
mense  gain  if  that  interpretation  itself  were  fixed  for  ever 
by  the  removal  of  ambiguities  from  the  code  by  which 
she  is  governed. 

Near  the  close  of  the  session  of  this  Assembly,  Dr. 
Thornwell  delivered  a  short  speech,  far  less  elaborate 
than  many  we  have  heard  from  his  lips,  but  which  was 
an  admirable  specimen  of  his  forensic  power,  in  some 
times  sweeping  an  audience  away  with  a  burst  of  impas 
sioned  feeling.  A  paper  had  been  introduced  commend 
ing  the  African  colonization  scheme.  Dr.  Thornwell 
was  seated  on  one  of  the  front  benches,  at  the  side  of  the 
rostrum,  in  a  listless  and  inattentive  mood.  The  writer 
touched  his  hand,  and  said,  in  a  whisper,  "  Now  is  your 
time:  this  is  an  unembarrassed  issue  in  which  to  uri>'e 

'  O 

your  views  as  to  the  spiritual  functions  of  the  Church.'" 
He  sprang  instantly  to  his  feet,  and,  without  a  moment 
for  the  arrangement  of  his  thoughts,  proceeded  to  argue, 
that  "the  Church  is  exclusively  a  spiritual  organiza 
tion,  and  possesses  only  a  spiritual  power.  Her  business 
was  the  salvation  of  men  ;  and  she  had  no  mission  to  care 
for  the  things,  or  to  become  entangled  with  the  kingdoms 
and  policy,  of  this  world.  To  this  view,"  he  said,  "the 
Church  has  been  steadily  coming  up ;  and  in  consequence, 
what  a  spectacle  does  she  present  to  the  country  and  the 
world !  And  why  does  our  beloved  Zion  stand  thus  '  the 
beauty  of  the  land  ?'  It  is  because  the  only  voice  she 
utters  is  the  "Word  of  God ;  because  no  voice  is  heard  in 
her  councils  but  His.  He  gloried  in  the  position  of  this 
Church.  He  was  once  attended  by  a  young  gentleman,  a 


SEMINARY  LIFE.  437 

native  of  Great  Britain,  through  the  Tower  of  London; 
and  we  passed  through  the  long  apartments  and  corri 
dors  in  which  were  deposited  the  trophies  which  Eng 
land's  prowess  had  won  in  her  many  wars.  As  my 
companion  pointed  with  becoming  patriotic  pride  to 
these  trophies,"  said  Dr.  Thorn  well,  "  I  raised  myself  to 
the  fullest  height  my  stature  would  permit,  and  replied, 
i  Your  country  has  carried  on  two  wars  with  mine ;  but  I 
see  no  trophies  won  from  American  valour.'  Let  our 
Church,"  h£  continued,  "lend  herself,  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  and  in  her  own  proper  sphere,  to  her  own  mission, 
and  her  enemies  will  never  rejoice  over  trophies  won 
from  her.  The  salt  that  is  to  save  this  country  is  the 
Church  of  Christ,  a  Church  that  does  not  mix  up  with 
any  political  party,  or  any  issue  aside  from  her  direct 
mission." 

The  generous  patriotism  that  breathed  in  these  closing 
sentences,  a  patriotism  which  gloried  in  the  American 
name,  sent  an  electric  thrill  through  the  house;  and  it  is 
the  only  occasion  on  which  the  writer  lias  ever  known 
the  gravity  and  decorum  of  an  ecclesiastical  court  dis 
turbed  by  an  involuntary,  though  subdued,  applause, 
which  was  instantly  repressed  by  the  Moderator's  gavel. 
The  whole  passage  has  a  melancholy  interest  to  those 
who  reflect  how  completely,  and  in  how  short  a  time,  this 
glowing  picture  of  a  Church,  true  only  to  her  own  mis 
sion,  wras  reversed  and  turned  to  the  wall.  We  pass, 
however,  to  the  letters  of  this  period : 

"INDIANAPOLIS,  May  19,  1859. 

"  MY  DARLING  WIFE  :  I  have  waited  till  night  to  write  to  you,  that  I 
might  give  you  some  account  of  the  organization  of  the  Assembly.  As 
Dr.  Scott,  the  last  Moderator,  was  not  present,  Dr.  Rice  opened  the 
Assembly  with  a  sermon,  which  gave  very  general  satisfaction.  After 
the  sermon,  the  Assembly  adjourned  until  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
We  then  met,  and  elected  a  Moderator,  Dr.  W.  L.  Breckinridge,  who 
was  unanimously  chosen,  all  other  nominations  being  withdrawn. 

"  I  have  met  a  great  many  old  acquaintances,  and  they  all  seem  glad  to 
see  me ;  a  number  that  served  with  me  at  Nashville,  New  York,  Lexing- 


438  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

ton,  and  Cincinnati.  What  the  course  of  business  will  be,  and  what  the 
temper  in  which  the  business  will  be  conducted,  I  cannot  yet  conjecture. 
Much  will  depend  on  the  committees  to  be  reported  to-morrow.  But  I 
sincerely  trust  that  the  Spirit  of  God  will  be  poured  out  upon  us,  and 
that  we  may  be  guided  in  all  our  deliberations  by  Divine  wisdom.1'  *  *  * 

Again,  under  date  of  May  30th,  1859: 

"MY  BELOVED  WIFE:  This  is  Monday  morning;  and  before  the  As 
sembly  opens,  I  seize  a  moment  to  drop  you  a  line.  I  preached  yester 
day  morning  in  one  of  the  churches,  to  a  very  large  congregation.  The 
house  was  jammed,  and  many  had  to  go  away.  The  sermon  seems  to 
have  produced  some  impression,  though  I  did  not  preach  to  my  own 
satisfaction.  We  held  communion  yesterday  afternoon.  It  was  a  very 
pleasant  and  refreshing  season ;  and  my  affections  and  prayers  were 
earnestly  engaged  in  behalf  of  the  dear  ones  at  home. 

"My  speech  on  the  Kevision  question  was  well  received,  and  pro 
duced  a  decided  effect.  The  body  still  continues  very  harmonious,  and 
a  fine  spirit  prevails.  It  is- feared  that  the  disappointed  party,  after  the 
election  shall  have  been  made  for  Professors  in  the  North  Western  Semi 
nary,  will  try  and  make  trouble  ;  btit  I  hope  that  there  is  no  founda 
tion  for  the  fear.  The  Assembly  will  probably  not  adjourn  until  the 
second  or  third  day  in  June.  I  shall  then  have  to  spend  a  day  or  so  in 
Kentucky.  I  am  very  reluctant  to  go,  but  I  feel  it  to  be  my  duty ;  and 
all  Dr.  Breckinridge's  friends  think  it  very  important  that  I  should  see 
him.*  If  so,  I  may  not  be  at  home  before  the  10th  of  June.  *  *  *  * 
Love  to  all.  To  God  I  commit  you.  Abide  under  the  shadow  of  His 
wings.  Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

It  was  during  this  meeting  that  Dr.  Thornwell  preached 
a  sermon  from  the  text,  "  Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou 
Me  ? "  which  is  said  to  have  melted  the  whole  audience 
into  tears.  The  statement  does  not  surprise  those  who 
are  familiar  with  the  marvellous  unction  with  which  he 
would  often  expound  Divine  themes,  when  he  seemed 
borne  out  of  himself  by  a  secret  and  resistless,  impulse, 
and  was  only  less  than  inspired.  He  himself  afterwards 
said  of  this  sermon,  that  he  had  prepared  it  but  a  short 
time  before,  in  his  ministrations  in  his  own  pulpit,  and 
never  anticipated  the  great  impression  produced  by  it  on 
this  occasion.  The  fact  is,  the  grandest  illustrations  of 
his  power  were  not  to  be  found  in  his  elaborate  and  set 

*  Dr.  Breckinridge  had  recently  lost  his  wife. 


SEMINARY  LIFE.  439 

discourses,  which  were  sometimes  overweighted;  but  in  his 
ordinary  preparation,  on  occasions  when  the  Divine  afflatus 
was  upon  him,  and  he  would  appear  more  like  one  of  the 
old  Hebrew  prophets,  upon  whom  rested  some  "  burden 
of  the  Lord,"  forcing*  its  utterance  from  the  lips. 

Dr.  Thorn  well  returned  home  from  Indianapolis  to  en 
counter  a  great  sorrow.  His  eldest  daughter,  Nannie 
'TTitherspoon,  just  twenty  years  of  age,  had  been  taken  ill 
two  clays  before  his  return,  and  within  a  week  was  laid  in 
the  tomb.  He  was  accustomed  to  say  of  her  that,  of  all 
his  children,  she  was  most  like  himself  in  the  order  and 
structure  of  her  mind;  and,  perhaps  on  this  account,  he 
felt  in  her  a  peculiar  joy  and  pride.  She  was  the  idol  of 
his  heart.  His  first  meeting  with  her,  upon  his  return, 
was  affecting  in  the  extreme;  but,  as  it  is  simply  said  in 
the  account  from  which  we  draw,  it  was  "  too  sacred  for 
any  eye  save  of  those  bound  to  him  by  ties  of  blood."  In 
the  progress  of  her  disease,  he  wrestled  with  his  grief, 
and  could  not  easily  give  her  up.  When  it  became  ap 
parent  that  she  must  die,  he  took  his  wrife  into  the  ad 
joining  room,  and  there  the  two  knelt  and  prayed  for  help 
and  for  submission.  At  intervals,  he  read  and  prayed 
with  the  departing  one;  and  she,  in  the  triumph  of  her 
faith,  became  his  comforter,  and  sought  with  tender  words 
to  reconcile  him  to  the  inevitable  separation.  It  was  a 
beautiful  scene:  this  reversal  of  positions  between  the 
dying  child  and  the  strong  father,  writhing  in  the  cruci 
fixion  of  his  affections.  But,  like  David,  when  the  blow 
fell,  his  prayer  for  help  was  answered,  and  he  bowed  him 
self,  and  said,  "It  is  the  Lord!"  The  peculiar  circum 
stances  of  this  bereavement  threw  around  it  an  inex 
pressible  tenderness/  The  young  lady  was  on  the  eve  of 
her  marriage,  with  one  for  whom  she  knew  it  would  be  a 
joy  to  live.  The  father  had  hastened  back  to  bestow  his 
parental  blessing  upon  the  union  that  seemed  to  be  so 
auspicious.  The  invitations  to  the  wedding  had  already 
been  issued.  So  violent  had  been  the  illness,  and  so 


44:0  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

sudden  its  termination,  that  such  as  were  sent  to  a  dis 
tance  could  not  be  recalled.  The  bridal  dress  became  the 
shroud;  and  just  a  little  after  the  day  when  she  should 
have  plighted  her  vows  before  the  altar,  the  very  attend 
ants  who,  in  a  different  scene,  should  have  "rejoiced, 
hearing  the  bridegroom's  voice,"  with  their  white  gloves 
lifted  the  bier,  and  bore  it  to  the  grave.  In  the  peaceful 
Elmwood  Cemetery,  at  Columbia,  a  marble  slab  bears  the 
simple  inscription  of  her  name  and  age,  with  these  appro- 
words  beneath : 

"PEEP ABED  AS  A  BBIDE  ADOBNED  FOB  HEE  HUSBAND." 

It  was  a  sorrow  from  which  the  stricken  father  never 
fully  recovered.  From  this  time  his  health  became  feebler, 
a  tinge  of  sadness  rested  upon  his  countenance,  the  Chris 
tian  graces  became  sweeter  and  softer  every  day,  and  it 
was  evident  to  all  that  he  was  himself  mellowing  rapidly, 
to  be  gathered  above  with  her  who  had  gone. 

The  letter  which' follows  was  addressed  to  Mr.  Robert 
Carter,*  of  New  York,  presenting  some  details  of  this 

*We  cannot  refrain  from  subjoining  the  note  of  Mr.  Robert  Carter, 
accompanying  a  copy  of  this  letter,  when  sent  to  the  writer.  It  is  so 
honourable  to  him,  and  bears  such  a  cheerful  testimony  to  the  worth  of 
our  common  friend.  What  shocks  Christian  affection  has  power  to  sur 
vive  !  The  differences  of  earth  may  cause  it  to  tremble  like  the  magnet, 
but  cannot  throw  it  from  its  delicate  poise :  , 

"NEW  YOBK,  August  29,  1874. 

"Your  letter,  dear  sir,  calls  up  many  pleasing  and  many  painful  recol 
lections.  Dr.  Thornwell  was  one  of  my  .dearest  friends.  We  were  thrown 
together  in  London,  in  1841,  and  sailed  together,  in  the  'Britannia,' 
home.  I  had  the  opportunity  of  meeting  him  at  many  of  our  Assem 
blies.  We  spent  a  delightful  day  at  Chattanooga,  on  Lookout  mountain, 
on  our  way  to  Nashville ;  and  he  spent  the  last  days  he  was  North  at  my 
house,  when  the  dark  cloud  was  thickening  which  shrouded  his  latter 
days.  My  heart  bleeds  when  I  think  of  one  whom  I  loved  so  dearly, 
and  whom  I  shall  see  no  more  on  earth.  I  consider  him  one  of  the  most 
eloquent  preachers  I  ever  heard.  As  a  friend,  I  can  scarcely  speak  of 
him.  He  was  so  confiding,  so  winning,  so  witty,  and,  in  his  graver  mo 
ments,  so  tender  and  spiritual,  that  I  look  around  in  vain  for  one  to  take 
his  place.  Yours  fraternally, 

EOBEETCAETEE." 


SEMINARY  LIFE. 

sweet   young  Christian,  which  we  have  reserved  to  be 
given  in  the  father's  own  words : 

"THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  June  27,  1859. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEXD  :  I  have  just  received  your  kind  and  cordial  letter 
of  Christian  sympathy ;  and  as  the  subject  is  one  upon  which  I  take  a 
melancholy  pleasure  in  dwelling,  I  proceed  at  once  to  answer  your  tender 
and  affectionate  inquiries.  You  may  remember  that  I  told  you  of  her 
approaching  wedding.  She  was  to  have  been  married,  on  the  loth  in 
stant,  to  a  young  man  eminently  worthy  of  any  heart  or  any  hand.f  I 
reached  home  on  the  morning  of  the  Dth,  and  found  her  in  bed  with  a 
raging  fever.  She  had  then  been  sick  two  days.  Her  symptoms  ap 
peared  to  me  unfavourable,  and  I  called  in  two  other  physicians.  The 
next  day  I  became  alarmed,  and  on  Friday  gave  her  to  understand  that 
her  case  was  critical.  She  was  not  at  all  disconcerted.  She  assured  me 
that  her  peace  was  made  with  God ;  that,  though  she  had  many  earthly 
ties,  and  some  of  them  very  tender,  there  was  nothing  that  she  loved  in 
comparison  with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  nothing  that  she  was  not 
ready  to  sacrifice  at  His  call.  She  called  all  the  family  to  her  bed  side, 
united  in  prayer  with  them,  and  gave  to  each  a  parting  benediction.  The 
scene  was  sublime  beyond  description.  To  see  a  young  girl,  elegant, 
accomplished,  and  highly  esteemed,  with  the  most  flattering  prospects  in 
life,  just  upon  the.  eve  of  her  marriage  with  one  whom  she  devotedly 
loved,  resign  all  earthly  hopes  and  schemes  and  joys  with  perfect  com 
posure-,  and  welcome  death  as  the  voice  of  one  supremely  loved,  was  a 
spectacle  that  none  who  witnessed  can  ever  forget.  It  was  grand  ;  it  was 
even  awful.  It  impressed  some  who  were  in  the  room  in  a  way  they  were 
never  impressed  before  ;  and  I  felt  more  like  adoring  God  for  that  won 
drous  triumph  of  His  grace,  than  weeping  for  my  own  loss. 

"  After  this  scene  she  rallied ;  and  the  next  day,  the  physicians  thought 
that  there  was  a  fair  prospect  of  her  recovery.  When  it  was  announced 
to  her  that  she  might  yet  get  well,  she  said  that  she  wished  to  have  no 
choice  in  the  matter.  All  that  she  desired  was  that  God  might  be  glori 
fied,  whether  by  her  life  or  her  death.  .  For  the  sake  of  others,  she 
might  desire  to  live  ;  but  upon  the  whole  she  would  prefer,  if  it  was  the 
Lord's  will,  to  depart  and  be  with  Jesus.  She  spent  the  whole  day  in 
listening  to  the  Scriptures,  and  conversing  with  me  about  the  condition 
of  the  soul  after  death.  She  was  perfectly  calm  and  collected ;  and 
what  she  said  was  the  deliberate  utterance  of  faith,  not  the  language;  of 
excitement. 

"  Before  the  last  hour  came,  she  had  a  momentary  conflict ;  but  gained 
a  glorious  victory,  and  her  joy  was  irrepressible.  She  threw  her  arms 
around  my  neck,  and  told  me  that  her  happiness  was  beyond  expression. 
She  felt  the  presence  of  Jesus,  and  rejoiced  in  Him  with  joy  inexpress- 

t  The  Rev.  (now  Dr.)  T.  D wight  Witherspoon. 


4:42  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

ible,  and  full  of  glory.  It  was  a  glorious  death,  a  triumphal  procession. 
"What  makes  the  whole  matter  more  consoling  is,  that  there  had  been  for 
months  a  marked  and  rapid  progress  in  Divine  things.  She  had  been 
much  in  prayer  •  and  as  a  proof  of  her  intense  spirituality,  she  has  left 
behind  her  a  paper,  containing  her  reflections  and  feelings  and  purposes 
in  the  prospect  of  her  marriage,  and  all  bespeak  the  condition  of  one 
whose  eye  was  single  to  the  glory  of  God.  It  is  a  precious  document, 
absolutely  amazing  for  her  years.  Two  days  before  she  was  taken  sick, 
she  had  been  on  a  visit  to  a  friend  in  Sumter ;  and  upon  her  return, 
spoke  to  her  mother  of  the  delightful  communion  she  had  enjoyed  with 
God  in  prayer.  The  Master  was  evidently  maturing  her  for  heaven. 
The  family  has  been  amazingly  sustained.  The  truth  is,  we  dare  not 
murmur.  The  grace  has  been  so  transcendent,  that  it  would  be  mon 
strous  to  repine.  I  feel  my  loss,  for  I  loved  her  very  tenderly.  But 
I  bless  God  for  what  my  eyes  have  seen,  and  my  ears  heard.  We  have 
been  afraid  to  grieve,  the  triumph  was  so  illustrious.  My  second  daughter 
is  a  professor  of  religion,  and,  I  think,  a  true  child  of  God.  My  boys 
are  still  out  of  the  ark.  Pray  for  us,  my  dear  friend ;  especially  pray 
that  I  may  have  no  unconverted  child.  The  event  has  been  greatly 
sanctified  to  me  and  my  wife.  God  grant  that  we  may  never  grow  faint. 
I  never  relax  my  hold  upon  the  covenant.  Jesus  has  been  more  pre 
cious  to  me  than  I  have  felt  Him  for  a  long  time,  and  the  gospel  more 
glorious.  Henceforth  I  am  bound,  I  trust,  for  eternity.  I  want  to  live 
only  for  the  glory  of  God.  Pray  for  me  and  mine.  The  Lord  bless  you, 
and  reward  you  for  your  kind  and  Christian  sympathies. 
"As  ever,  yours, 

J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

His  anxiety  f»r  the  salvation  of  his  children  is  expressed 
in  almost  every  letter,  and  is  never  omitted  in  those  writ 
ten  directly  to  them.  We  give  extracts  from  two,  ad 
dressed  to  his  eldest  son,  Gillespie,  than  a  boy  of  fifteen. 
The  first  is  dated — 

"KICHMOND,  August  4,  1859. 

"MYDEABBoY:  *****  I  have  endeavoured  to  commit  you 
all  to  God ;  and  there  is  nothing  on  which  my  heart  is  so  much  set  as  to 
see  you  all  enlisted  in  the  service  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  My  cup  of 
earthly  happiness  would  be  full,  if  you,  and  Jimmie,  and  Charlie,  were 
only  true  Christians.  You  would  then  be  safe  for  time  and  for  eternity. 
Depend  upon  it,  my  dear  son,  you  will  never  repent  of  it,  if  you  should 
now  give  your  heart  unto  the  Lord.  Let  me  beg  you  to  seek,  this  sum 
mer,  the  salvation  of  your  soul.  You  will  have  time  to  think,  and  read, 
and  pray.  Write  to  me  that  you  are  not  neglecting  the  one  thing  need 
ful.  Be  all  that  you  know  you  ought  to  be.  I  think  of  you  all  the  time, 
and  never  cease  to  pray  for  you.  *  *  *  * 


SEMINARY  LIFE.  44:3 

The  second  letter  is  addressed  to  him  at  Oxford,  Mis 
sissippi,  where  he  was  pursuing  his  studies  with  the  Rev. 
T.  Dwight  Witherepoon,  who  had  shared  so  deeply  in 
the  late  great  sorrow.  It  is  more  various  in  its  counsels, 
and  is  given  because  it  brings  out  the  affection  which 
marked  his  intercourse  with  all  his  children : 

"  THEOLOGICAL,  SEMINARY,  November  6,  1859. 

"My  DEAR  BOY  :  I  received  your  welcome  letter  the  first  of  the  week, 
and  in  consequence  of  the  pressure  of  my  public  engagements,  have 
deferred  answering  it  until  to-day.  I  need  not  say  to  you  how  much  I 
am  delighted  at  your  purpose  to  study  resohately  and  continuously.  Be 
on  your  guard  against  passing  over  things  too  rapidly.  There  must  be 
a  certain  degree  of  dwelling  upon  any  matter,  in  order  that  it  may  stick 
in  the  memory.  *  *  *  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  are  getting  fonder 
of  Greek.  It  is  a  great  language,  and  I  want  to  see  you  thoroughly  mas 
ter  of  it.  Now  is  the  time  to  lay  the  foundation  broad  and  deep.  Make 
yourself  perfect  in  the  Grammar,  and  the  difficulties  are  all  surmounted. 
I  would  like  for  you  to  read  something  besides  your  lessons.  Plutarch's 
Lives,  Bancroft's  History,  Hume's  History,  Irving's  Life  of  Washington, 
or  any  books  of  the  sort,  will  be  of  immense  benefit  to  you.  Try  and 
get  a  love  for  reading;  make  notes  of  what  you  read;  and  often  run 
over  what  you  have  read  in  your  mind ;  so  as  to  fix  it  in  the  memory. 
I  want  you  also  to  commit  a  great  deal  to  memory ;  it  is  one  of  the  best 
exercises  in  the  world.  A  good  memory  is  indispensable  to  a  man  of 
letters.  It  is  useless  to  have  a  thing,  if  you  have  no  place  to  put  it. 

"The  accounts  which  I  have  had  of  you  are  very  gratifying.  They 
have  done  me  good.  If  you  hold  coit  as  you  have  begun,  you  will  make 
a  man  of  yourself.  But,  above  all  things,  keep  constantly  in  view  your 
dependence  on  God.  I  never  bow  my  knees  without  thinking  of  you 
and  Dwight.  I  look  upon  both  of  you  as  my  boys,  and  I  feel  that  both 
of  you  are  safe  only  in  the  hands  of  God.  Make  it  your  great  business 
to  grow  in  grace.  Watch  the  whole  frame  of  your  mind.  Live  close 
to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Let  nothing  induce  you  to  neglect  prayer,  or 
the  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  and  try  to  understand  what  you  read. 
*  *  *  * 

"You  may  drop  -Virgil,  if  you  are  tired  of  it;  but  you  ought  to  read 
the  whole  of  it  at  some  time.  You  must  learn  to  scan  all  the  Odes  of 
Horace ;  make  yourself  master  of  them.  I  would  advise  you  to  take 
pains  in  trying  to  write  a  good  hand.  Imitate  Dwight's :  he  writes 
beautifully.  If  you  hold  out  as  you  have  begun,  and  please  me  in  all 
things,  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  make  you  a  present  of  my  fine  blooded 
mare,  when  you  return  home.  The  pups  have  grown  finely.  Jimmy 
and  Charley  attend  to  them  every  day.  Much  love  to  Dwight. 
"  Your  devoted  father, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 


4:4,4:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

About  this  time  lie  paid  a  second  visit  to  the  South 
west,  to  strengthen  the  interest  he  had  awakened  the 
preceding  year  in  the  Theological  Seminary.  He  did 
not,  however,  get  beyond  Mobile,  being  compelled,  by 
indisposition,  to  return  home  from  that  point.  He  thus 
writes  to  his  brother-in-law,  the  Rev.  A.  J.  Witherspoon : 

"THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  December  23,  18.">9. 

"Mr  DEAR  JACK  :  You  have  probably  heard  before  this  of  my  indis 
position  in  Mobile,  which  prevented  me  from  going  to  New  Orleans, 
and  from  attending  the  Synod  of  Mississippi.  The  whole  thing  was 
ordered  in  wisdom  and  love.  It  caused  me  to  return  home  at  once, 
where  I  found  a  letter  requiring  immediate  attention,  in  relation  to  the 
business  of  my  widowed  sister.  Had  I  executed  my  original  purpose, 
she  would  have  been  left  in  great  distress,  without  an  adviser  and  with 
out  a  friend  in  whom  she  could  repose  implicit  confidence.  During  my 
absence,  too,  one  of  my  little  negroes,  a  very  promising  child  of  Norah's, 
died  suddenly  and  unexpectedly.  I  sincerely  trust  that  she  was  prepared 
for  the  change. 

"I  am  very  intent  on  raising  the  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  the  Synod 
of  Alabama,  by  finding  fifty  men  who  will  become  responsible  for  a 
thousand  dollars  apiece  The  scheme  must  not  fail.  "We  must  put  the 
Institution  upon  a  footing  worthy  of  the  South.  The  Lord  is  smiling  upon 
us,  and  it  becomes  us  to  take  courage,  and  do  more  than  we  have  ever 
done  before.  I  want  you  to  exert  yourself,  and  find  men  who  will  come 
into  the  arrangement.  Last  night  one  of  our  seminary  students  fell 
asleep  in  Jesus.  He  was  the  victim  of  a  rapid,  hereditary  consump 
tion.  My  own  family  are  all  in  usual  health,  and  all  join  in  much  love 
to  you  and  yours. 

As  ever,  your  devoted  friend, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL. 

The  great  comfort  he  experienced  in  the  triumphant 
death  of  his  own  daughter,  brought  him  into  close  sym 
pathy  with  one  who  was  partaker  of  the  like  sorrow  and 
like  consolation.  The  following,  addressed  to  the  Rev. 
John  F.  Lanneau,  of  Salem,  Va.,  may  be  read  as  a  com 
mentary  upon  the  Apostle's  declaration,  "We  glory  in 
tribulation  also." 

"  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  Ja/nuary  30,  1860. 

"MY  DEAR  BROTHER:  I  have  just  seen  the  account  of  the  death  of 
your  darling  '  Jimmie,'  and  must  beg  the  privilege  of  being  permitted 
to  rejoice  with  you  in  this  wonderful  triumph  of  Divine  grace.  It 


SEMINARY  LIFE. 

•would  be  monstrous  ingratitude  to  talk  of  grief  in  a  case  like  this. 
There  may  be,  and  there  must  be,  the  pang  of  separation  ;  there  may  and 
there  must  be  those  tears  of  nature,  which  testify  to  a  father's  interest, 
and  a  father's  love  ;  but  anything  that  deserves  to  be  called  grief,  must 
not  enter  where  God  and  Christ  are  so  gloriously  present,  and  where  the 
chamber  of  death  is  irradiated  with  the  light,  and  joy,  and  blessedness 
of  the  eternal  city.  God  has  honoured  you,  and  your  proper  attitude 
before  Him  is  that  of  profound  and  intense  thanksgiving.  I  want  to 
join  with  you  in  your  song  of  praise.  I  write  to  you  now,  not  to  com 
fort  you,  but  to  congratulate  you  that  God  has  done  such  great  things 
for  you.  How  delightful  to  think  that  your  dear  boy  is  now  safely 
housed  for  ever,  and  that  his  young  faculties  ai'e  destined  to  expand  and 
mature  amid  scenes  in  which  there  shall  be  nothing  to  disturb,  distract, 
or  obscure.  Gone  to  heaven  to  be  educated !  what  an  honour ! 

*'I  have  just  finished  Calvin's  Commentary  on  Genesis,  and  cannot 
tell  you  how  much  spiritual  refreshment  and  comfort  I  have  derived 
from  the  light  which  his  own  experience  and  grace  enabled  him  to  throw 
upon  the  dealings  of  God  with  the  ancient  patriarchs.  Every  day  en 
larges  my  views,  and  deepens  my  convictions  of  the  infinite  riches  of 
Divine  wisdom  and  goodness.  We  serve  no  hard  master.  Our  religion 
is  no  cold  and  lifeless  homage  to  an  unsympathizing  superior.  We  have 
a  Saviour  that  loves  us,  that  enters  into  all  our  joys  and  sorrows,  that 
permits  us  to  converse  familiarly  with  Him,  and  that  shows,  in  the  con 
fidence  of  friendship,  the  secret  of  His  covenant.  '  Our  light  afflictions, 
•which  are  but  for  a  moment,  work  out  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and 
eternal  weight  of  glory.'  'It  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be,  but 
we  know  this,  that  when  He  shall  appear  we  shall  be  like  Him,'  and 
shall  be  everlastingly  participants  of  His  glory,  liejoice,  my  brother, 
that  you  are  a  child  of  God ;  rejoice,  again,  that  you  are  permitted  to  be 
father  of  sons  and  daugthers  of  the  Lord  Almighty ;  and  rejoice  above 
all  things,  that  after  a  few  more  changes  and  vicissitudes,  you  and  yours 
shall  be  for  ever  gathered  to  the  Lord. 

"Excuse  these  hasty  lines,  coming  from  a  sympathizing  heart.  I 
could  not  forbear  to  speak  ;  and  yet  I  have  almost  felt  it  an  intrusion  tof 
say  anything  where  God  is  so  conspicuously  present.  My  whole  family 
have  expressed  the  profoundest  interest  in  your  case.  We  know  how 
you  feel.  The  Lord  be  with  you,  and  bless  you,  and  keep  you  in  the  way 
of  holiness  and  peace. 

"  Very  truly,  as  ever, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL.'' 
J 

The  Assembly  at  Kochester,  New  York,  was  the  tenth 
and  last  General  Assembly  of  the  united  Church  in  which 
Dr.  Thornwell  sat  as  a  member.  It  is  no  slight  proof 
of  the  estimation  in  which  he  was  held  as  a  presbyter, 
that  he  should  have  been  returned  to  tin's  supreme  council 


44:6  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

of  the  Church  at  two-fifths  of  its  annual  sessions,  from  the 
year  1836,  when  his  ministry  began,  to  the  year  1860. 
During  almost  this  entire  period,,  moreover,  he  was  con 
nected  with  the  same  Presbytery,  and  that  Presbytery 
rather  remarkable  for  the  number  of  distinguished  and 
representative  men  upon  its  roll. 

The  Assembly  at  Rochester  is  chiefly  memorable  for 
the  earnest  and  able  debate  which  was  held  on  the  subject 
of  Church  Boards.  It  was  hardly  possible  that  the  two 
sides  of  this  question  could  have  been  better  represented 
than  by  Drs.  Thornwell  and  Hodge;  and  as  both  were 
giants,  the  whole  strength  of  the  argument,  on  the  one 
side  and  on  the  other,  was  brought  out.  In  the  fourth 
volume  of  Dr.  Thornwell's  "  Collected  Writings,"  the  en 
tire  debate  has  been  reproduced,  with  impartial  fairness, 
by  the  editors.  Not  only  the  speeches  delivered  on  the 
floor  of  the  Assembly  may  be  found,  but  the  essays  in  the 
Princeton  and  in  the  Columbia  Reviews,  in  which  the 
arguments  of  both  parties  are  more  fully  expanded.  We 
cannot,  of  course,  in  these  pages,  re-state  this  controversy ; 
but,  in  justice  to  him  whose  career  we  are  undertaking  to 
sketch,  it  is  proper  to  set  forth  the  estimate  he  had  of  its 
importance.  In  his  judgment,  "the  whole  question  is  but 
an  offshoot  from  another  question,  which  is  the  organiza 
tion  of  the  Church  itself.  One*  party  holds  that  Christ  1ms. 
given  the  materials  and  principles  of  Church  government, 
and  has  left  us  to  shape  them  pretty  much  as  we  please: 
the  other  party  holds  that  He  has  given  us  a  Church, 
a  constitution,  laws,  Presbyteries,  Assemblies,  presbyters, 
and  all  the  functionaries  necessary  to  a  complete  organi 
zation."  Proceeding  from  this  view,  lie  argued  "that  the 
Boards  were  an  organism,  and  not  an  organ;  that  they 
are  the  vicars  of  the  Assembly,  and  appointed  in  its  place; 
and  that  the  principles  of  action  by  which  they  are  gov 
erned  were  unfavourable  to  the  development  of  the  life 
and  zQal  of  the  Church."  His  speech  did  not  carry  the 
Assembly,  though  it  was  deeply  moved  by  it.  In  the 


SEMINARY  LIFE.  447 

conclusion,  when  he  summoned  the  whole  host  of  God's 
elect  to  come  up  to  the  great  work  of  giving  the  gospel 
to  a  lost  world,  the  whole  audience  was  nek],  in  breathless 
attention,  their  hearts  vibrating  as  the  heart  of  one  man, 
to  the  fervent  "Amen,  and  amen"  with  which  he  closed. 
A  single  brief  letter  is  all  that  gives  his  own  impression 
of  this  Assembly,  and  of  the  part  he  took  in  its  pro 
ceedings  : 

"ROCHESTER,  May 28,  I860. 

* '  MY  DARLING  WIFE  :  The  Assembly  is  still  in  session,  and  likely  to 
continue  so  for  two  days  longer.  The  debate  on  the  Boards  has  ended, 
and  the  other  side  carried  the  day  by  a  large  majority ;  but  I  think  we 
had  the  best  of  the  argument.  Their  victory  will  not  do  them  much 
good. 

"We  had  an  address  from  Father  Chiniquy  to-night,  and  it  was  the 
most  interesting  and  touching  thing  I  ever  listened  to.  He  is  evidently 
a  true  man,  and  the  work  among  his  people  is  a  wonderful  work  of  God. 
I  never  had  my  heart  more  stirred  than  in  listening  to  his  simple  story 
of  the  dealings  of  God  with  him. 

"I  have  preached  twice  here,  and,  I  have  reason  to  think,  with  great 
acceptance.  The  people  have  been  very  kind  and  hospitable.  "I  am 
so  occupied,  day  and  night,  that  I  cannot  steal  the  time  to  write  as 
often  as  I  desire ;  and  I  pray  God  that  you  may  constantly  experience  a 
sense  of  His  love,  and  confidence  in  His  protecting  care.  As  the  time 
approaches  for  me  to  sail,  I  am  strongly  tempted  to  draw  back.  The 
thought  of  not  seeing  you  all,  for  so  long  a  time,  is  a  heavy  burden.  I 
shall  probably  not  write  again  until  I  get  to  New  York,  and  make  all  my 
arrangements.  I  will  inform  you  of  my  plans,  and  how  to  address  let 
ters.  Kiss  the  children ;  and  may  the  good  Lord  bless  you  all. 
"  Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


CHAPTEK    XXXI. 

SECOND  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

FAILURE  OF  HEALTH. — SECOND  VOYAGE  TO  EUROPE. — AGREEABLE  PARTY. 
— ISLE  OF  WIGHT. — STAY  IN  LONDON. — LETTERS  HOME. — IRELAND. — 
IRISH  ASSEMBLY. — SCOTLAND. — EDINBURGH. — ITS  CLERGY. — RETURNS 
TO  LONDON. — ITS  HISTORIC  ASSOCIATIONS. — ITS  MINISTERS. — VISITS 
THE  CONTINENT. — BASLE. — GENEVA. — THE  ALPS. — MOUNTAIN  SCENERY. 
— ZURICH. — ITS  ASSOCIATIONS. — KETURNS  TO  AMERICA. 

TTPON  the  rising  of  the  Assembly,  Dr.  Thornwell  went 
U  immediately  to  New  York,  to  embark  for  Europe. 
His  constitution  was  visibly  impaired,  though  neither  he 
nor  his  friends  perceived  that  it  was  irrecoverably  broken. 
^Nineteen  years  before,  a  sea-voyage  had  restored  him, 
when  threatened  with  a  serious  decline ;  and  large  hopes 
were  cherished  that  he  would  again  be  toned  up  by  a 
second  trial  of  the  sea,  and  the  recreation  of  foreign 
travel.  The  Church  in  Columbia  had  recently  associated 
with  him,  as  co-pastor,  the  Rev.  F.  P.  Mullally,  then  just 
out  of  the  Seminary ;  so  that  he  was  relieved  of  all  public 
care  in  making  the  trip.  He  was  more  fortunate  than 
when  he  first  crossed  the  Atlantic,  in  being  now  accom 
panied  by  congenial  friends.  His  own  suite  consisted  of 
his  second  daughter,  a  young  bride,  with  her  husband,  the 
"Rev.  Robert  B.  Anderson ;  his  nephew,  John  A.  Witlier- 
spoon,  a  student  of  Divinity,  and  the  Rev.  P.  H.  Thomp 
son,  a  recent  graduate  from  the  Seminary;  these,  with 
his  intimate  friend,  Rev.  John  Douglas,  wife,  and  niece, 
made  up  a  party  of  eight;  most  of  whom  were  young,  and 
buoyant  with  life  and  hope.  His  letters,  therefore,  are 
more  cheerful,  and  less  filled  with  expressions  of  loneli 
ness  and  home  sickness,  than  those  he  formerly  penned 
from  Europe. 

449 


450  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

On  the  second  of  June,  1860,  they  sailed  from  New 
York,  in  the  steamship  Adriatic,  and  landed  at  South 
ampton,  England,  on  the  twelfth.  The  reader  will  re 
member  the  reflections  which  Dr.  Thornwell  indulged,  on 

•  O          ' 

the  wearisome  monotony  of  the  ocean.  His  friends  de 
scribe  him  on  this  voyage  as  evincing  little  admiration  for 
the  wide  expanse  of  waters,  and  as  rarely  coming  upon 
deck,  except  for  a  few  moments  between  supper  and  dark; 
giving  occasion  for  the  jocose  remark  that  he  was  like  a 
racoon,  never  leaving  his  den  so  long  as  he  could  see  his 
own  shadow.  He  preached  but  once  during  the  voyage, 
which  terminated  without  any  of  the  incidents  which  are 
noted  in  his  journal  before.  The  day  following  his  arrival 
in  England  was  spent  in  a  delightful  excursion  on  the 
Isle  of  Wight,  the  beauty  and  cultivation  of  which  formed 
an  exquisite  contrast  with  the  confinement  and  monotony 
of  the  vessel.  Dr.  Thornwell  had  great  enjoyment  in 
scenes  rich  with  historical  associations,  and  the  Isle  of 
Wight  abounded  in  these.  He  explored  the  ruins  of 
Carisbrook  Castle,  where  Charles  the  First  was  impri 
soned  before  his  execution;  and  said  that  he  was  greatly 
assisted  in  bringing  before  his  imagination  the  civil  con 
vulsion  that  resulted  in  the  execution  of  Charles,  and  the 
elevation  of  Cromwell. 

But  the  story  of  his  impressions  will  be  told  best  in  the 
language  of  his  own  letters,  which  are  indeed  the  only 
chronicle  from  which  we  are  able  to  draw : 

/ 

"LONDON,  June  18,  1SGO. 

"MY  DEAKEST  WIFE  :  I  reached  London  last  Friday,  having  made  be 
forehand  a  pleasant  excursion  to  the  Isle  of  Wight.  We  visited  Caris 
brook  Castle,  and  spcmt  the  night  at  Portsmouth,  where  we  had  most 
wretched  accommodations.  We  have  been  very  much  annoyed  in  try 
ing  to  get  comfortable  quarters  in  London.  We  squeezed  in,  the  first 
night,  at  a  hotel  in  Westminster,  and  were  most  outrageously  gouged. 
We  spent  a  day  in  seeking  private  quarters,  and  have  found  a  place  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  city,  in  which  we  are  constantly  annoyed  by  the 
want  of  servants.  It  has  disgusted  the  whole  party  with  London,  and 
they  are  anxious  to  get  away.  W7e  have  visited  St.  Paul's,  the  Tower,  and 


SECOND  TRIP,  TO  EUROPE.  451 

Thames  Tunnel.  Jennie  has  enjoyed  herself  very  much.  Her  health 
has  improved  steadily ;  she  eats  heartily,  sleeps  soundly,  and  is  always 
in  a  good  humour.  She  and  I  did  not  go  to  church  yesterday,  on  account 
of  rain.  The  rest  of  the  party  went  in  the  morning  to  hear  Dr.  Hamil 
ton,  and  in  the  afternoon  to  hear  Dr.  Gumming.  Jennie  and  I  remained 
at  home,  and  read  our  Bibles,  and  talked,  and  thought,  and  prayed  about 
the  dear  ones  in  America.  You  cannot  imagine  how  much  I  long  to  see 
you  all ;  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  comfort  and  consolation  of  prayer 
and  faith,  I  would  not  be  able  to  endure  the  pangs  of  separation.  But 
the  Lord  has  been  very  merciful  to  us  since  we  left  home,  and  it  would 
be  most  ungrateful  not  to  trust  Him  still  for  the  continuance  of  His 
grace.  I  thought  of  you  all  yesterday,  in  your  public  worship.  I  could 
see  you  getting  ready  for  the  house  of  God.  I  could  see  you,  as  you  set 
out  from  home ;  and  I  could  fancy  Mullally  in  the  pulpit.  You  had  my 
earnest  prayers  for  the  blessing  of  God  upon  you. 

"This  is  the  gay  season  in  Londoa.  The  city  is  crowded  with  the 
nobility  and  with  strangers.  Parliament  is  in  session,  and  parties  and 
balls  are  given  every  night  by  some  attendants  of  the  court.  Of  course, 
the  Queen  has  not  heard  of  our  arrival,  and  we  have  received  no  invita 
tions  to  the  great  Vanity  Fairs  ! 

"  You  may  be  surprised  to  hear  that  I  have  kept  away  from  the  book 
stores.  I  do  not  intend  to  enter  into  temptation.  I  want  to  keep  money 
enough  to  bring  me  home.  I  even  keep  my  old  hat,  and  it  is  a  perfect 
curiosity  here  ;  the  English  all  wear  the  high,  stiff  beaver.  I  intended 
to  get  a  new  hat,  but  was  gouged  so  badly  at  the  Brunswick  hotel,  that  I 
have  got  into  an  economical  fit,  and  will  not  spare  the  money.  They 
charged  us,  at  that  hotel,  for  one  day,  about  ten  dollars  apiege.  We  are 
now  living  at  about  two  doUars  a  day,  all  expenses  included.  "We  have 
rented  a  house  for  a  week,  furnished ;  and  the  landlady  is  to  supply  us 
with  everything.  But  her  husband  has  been  opposed  to  the  operation,  and 
the  servants  have  been  hindered,  by  the  cross-firing  between  the  parties, 
from  giving  us  proper  attention.  "We  are  in  a  very  retired  and  quiet 
part  of  the  city,  and  in  a  very  pretty  situation ;  but  not  as  comfortable 
as  we  might  be  in  Westminster. 

"  The  weather  has  been  very  cold.  We  have  fires  every  day,  and 
sleep  under  two  blaAkets  and  a  counterpane  every  night.  It  is  said  that 
the  oldest  Englishman  has  no  recollection  of  so  cold  a  spell  in  June. 
But  the  climate  is  very  bracing.  My  own  health  seems  to  be  as  good  as 
it  ever  was.  I  can  walk  ten  miles  a  day  without  fatigue,  and  sleep  well 
for  me.  I  have,  as  yet,  made  no  acquaintances.  I  have  not  called  on 
the  American  minister.  I  want  to  go  to  Oxford  and  Cambridge  this 
week ;  next  week  we  shall  visit  Edinburgh,  then  run  over  to  Ireland,  and 
then  set  out  for  the  continent.  ****** 

"  Kiss  all  the  children  ;  remember  me  to  the  servants.      The  Lord  be 
with  you  all,  and  bless  you  a  thousand  fold. 
"  Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 


452  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

His  next  letter  is  addressed  to  his  daughter : 

"  LONDON,  June  19,  1860. 

"  MY  DEAB  PATTIE  :  Though  I  have  recently  written  to  your  mother, 
yet,  as  the  weather  prevents  me  from  going  out  to-day,  I  cannot  spend 
the  time  more  pleasantly  than  in  conversing  with  the  dear  ones  at  home. 
Your  mother  and  the  children  are  never  out  of  my  mind.  I  think  of  you 
by  day,  and  dream  of  you  by  night ;  and  would  suffer  much  from  home 
sickness,  were  it  not  that  the  company  around  me  is  all  so  merry  and 
full  of  frolic.  ****** 

"  I  called  on  Mr.  Dallas,  the  American  Minister,  yesterday.  He  was 
very  polite  and  kind.  I  had  a  letter  to  him  from  Mr.  Bancroft.  We 
went  yesterday  to  Westminster  Abbey,  to  the  two  Houses  of  Parliament, 
and  to  Westminster  Hall.  We  saw  the  courts  in  session,  and  were  much 
amused  with  the  white  wigs.  We  heard  a  case  partially  argued  before  the 
Lord  Chancellor,  in  the  House  of  Lords.  We  went  into  another  court, 
where  there  were  three  judges  on  the  bench  in  their  wigs  ;  and  they 
were  quietly  eating  a  lunch,  while  a  barrister  was  pleading,  with  great 
earnestness,  before  them.  We  rode  round  St.  James'  Park,  and  took  a 
view  of  Buckingham  Palace  and  St.  James'  Palace. 

I  have  an  invitation  to-night  to  a  sort  of  conference  at  Stafford 
House,  where  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury  is  to  preside.  Stafford  House  is 
the  finest  Ducal  residence  in  the  city.  It  belongs  to  the  Duke  of  Suther 
land.  If  you  take  down  my  Guide  Book  for  London,  you  will  find  a  full 
description  of  it.  I  intend  to  go,  as  it  may  be  the  means  of  introducing 
me  into  society.  I  expect  to  find  an  interesting  party  there.  Mr.  Dallas 
has  promised  me  a  letter  to  Professor  Mansell,  of  Oxford.  The  Com 
mencement*  is  still  going  on  there.  I  intend  to  go  there,  either  this  week 
or  next.  I  propose  also  to  visit  Cambridge,  on  my  way  to  Edinburgh. 
About  the  middle  of  July  we  shall  go  to  Paris.  For  myself,  I  am  tired 
of  sight-seeing;  when  one  makes  a  business  of  it,  the  thing  becomes 
very  laborious.  I  much  prefer  meeting  with  educated  men,  and  con 
versing  with  them. 

"I  leave  it  to  Jennie  to  tell  you  all  the  sights ;  she  is  full  of  them,  and 
enjoys  them  very  much.  The  party  has  a  great  deal  of  fun  every  night 
in  writing  up  journals.  I  write  nothing  at  all,  except  what  I  scribble 
home.  I  hope  Gillespie  will  study  hard,  and  get  ready  for  College.  I 
intend  to  bring  him  a  handsome  gold  watch,  with  lumting  case.  Tell 
Jimmie  and  Charlie  that  they  will  get  some  fine  presents  from  Europe, 
if  they  study  to  be  good  boys.  I  want  them  to  attend  very  closely  to 
their  books.  But,  above  all,  exhort  them  to  seek  the  favour  of  God. 
The  great  thing  is  true  religion.  There  is  nothing  I  desire  so  much  as 
to  see  all  my  children  walking  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  I  have  conse 
crated  them  all  to  God,  and  sincerely  pray  that  they  may  consecrate 
themselves.  My  efforts  cannot  save  them.  They  must  pray  for  them- 
.selves  ;  they  must  repent  and  believe  in  Christ  for  themselves.  They 
must  seek  the  salvation  of  their  own  souls.  Let  me  beg  you  all  to  attend 
earnestly  to  this  great  matter. 


SECOND  TRIP  TO  EUROPE.  453 

"I  hope  Mullally  is  getting  on  well  in  the  church.  I  never  cease  to 
pray  for  him,  and  the  people  of  our  common  charge.  Kemember  me 
kindly  to  all  friends.  Kiss  all  the  children,  and  remember  me  to  the 
servants.  The  Lord  bless  you  all,  and  keep  you. 

•  "  Your  affectionate  father, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

Three  days  later,  he  writes  to  his  son,  Gillespie ;  from 
which  the  following  extract  will  suffice : 

"Yesterday  we  went  to  Windsor  Castle,  built  by  William  the  Con 
queror,  more  than  eight  hundred  years  ago,  and  refitted  by  George  the 
Fourth.  We  were  admitted  into  the  State  rooms,  and  some  of  the  pri 
vate  apartments  of  the  Queen.  The  paintings,  I  suppose,  are  very  fine, 
as  they  were  executed  by  the  best  masters ;  but  I  am  no  judge  of  excel 
lence  in  that  department  of  art.  The  grounds  embrace  a  circuit  of  many 
miles.  We  rode  about  fifteen.  Here  is  the  forest  which  is  the  scene  of 
Shakspeare's  play  of  ' '  The  Merry  Wives  of  Windsor. "  About  a  mile  from 
Windsor,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Thames,  is  Eton  College,  to  which 
Gray  devoted  a  beautiful  ode.  Its  chnpel  is  a  fine  Gothic  structure. 
The  College  was  founded  by  Henry  the  Sixth,  and  some  of  the  noblest 
scholars  of  England  have  been  educated  at  it.  The  education  it  gives 
is  only  preparatory  to  the  Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge.  *  * 

"  The,  great  Commencement  took  place  at  Oxford  yesterday.  I  missed 
it  by  not  knowing  the  da*y  ;  but  I  have-had  a  full  account  of  it  from  eye 
-witnesses.  It  was  a  grand  occasion.  We  shall  be  here  nearly  a  week 
longer.  There  is  still  much  for  the  young  folks  to  see.  The  Queen  has 
a  great  military  review  on  Saturday,  and  they  all  expect  to  go.  There 
is  also  to  be  a  grand  concert  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  on  Monday  or  Tues 
day,  and  they  expect  to  be  there.  A  thousand  loves  to  all  the  family. 
The  Lord  bless  you  all,  and  keep  you. 

"  Your  affectionate  father, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

The  trip  to  Ireland  and  to  Scotland  was  a  hurried  one, 
and  is  thus  glanced  at  in  a  letter  to  his  old  friend,  General 
James  Gillespie: 

"LONDON,  July  21,  I860. 

"  MY  DEAR  GENERAL  :  I  arrived  in  England  about  six  weeks  ago,  after 
a  smooth  passage  of  ten  days  from  New  York  to  Southampton.  After 
spending  ten  or  twelve  days  in  London,  I  set  out  for  Oxford,  Warwick, 
Wales,  and  Ireland.  I  spent  only  a  week  in  the  Emerald  Isle,  and 
•chiefly  in  Belfast,  where  I  met  a  great  many  Presbyterian  preachers, 
the  General  Assembly  being  in  session  at  the  time.  I  was  treated  with 
great  courtesy,  and  repeatedly  pressed  to  preach,  which  I  declined  to  do. 
The  great  revival  has  left  its  impress  very  strongly  marked  upon  the 


454         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

country.  It  was  certainly  a  very  wonderful  work  of  grace.  The  reci 
tals  made  in  the  General  Assembly,  and  the  accounts  which  I  received 
from  individuals,  were  profoundly  interesting.  I  procured  a  historj-  of 
the  work,  prepared  by  the  Professor  of  Moral  Philosophy  in  the  Belfast 
College,  with  whom  I  formed  a  very  pleasant  acquaintance. 

"  From  Belfast  I  crossed  the  Channel  to  Glasgow,  and  then  proceeded 
to  Edinburgh,  where  I  lingered  for  more  than  a  week.  The  society 
there  was  truly  refreshing.  I  was  a  great  deal  with  the  Principal  of. 
the  New  College,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cunningham,  an  able  and  learned  theo 
logian  ;  and  spent  part  of  a  day  very  happily  with  Professor  Fraser,  the 
successor  of  Sir  William  Hamilton  in  the  University  of  Edinburgh.  I 
was  gratified  to  find  that  I  was  not  wholly  unknown  to  the  clergy  of 
Scotland.  Several  of  my  articles  in  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Review 
had  been  re-published  in  the  British  and  Foreign  Evangelical  Review, 
and  some  of  them  had  been  complimented  very  highly.  I  went  to  Mel- 
rose,  Dryburgh,  and  Berwick-on-Tweed ;  thence  to  York,  where  I  had 
the  opportunity  of  attending  a  Cathedral  service  ;  and  from  York  to  Lon 
don,  where  I  am  at  present.  On  Monday  I  embark  for  the  Continent. 
At  York  I  went  into  the  Court.  A  most  exciting  case  was  on  trial,  the 
impeachment  of  a  member  of  Parliament  for  bribery.  The  result 
speaks  well  for  British  justice.  The  man  was  convicted,  and  fined  fifty 
thousand  dollars ;  or,  in  default  of  payment,  sentenced  to  ten  year's 
imprisonment.  My  health  has  been  greatly  improved.  The  climate 
here  is  bracing ;  but  I  have  never  seen  the  like  for  rain ;  six  times  a 
day  in  London  is  a  modest  allowance.  While  my  body  is  nere,  my 
heart  is  in  America.  I  remember  you  all  with  intense  interest,  and 
never  cease  to  pray  for  you.  I  shall  write  to  you  again  from  Switzer 
land. 

"As  ever, 

J.  H.  THOENWELL." 

Before  taking  a  final  leave  of  England,  it  may  be  well 
to  record  the  testimony  of  one  of  his  party :  "  Dr.  Thorn- 
well,  like  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  had  a  great  partiality  for 
London.  He  admired  the  great  solidity  of  everything  about 
it;  and  loved  to  dwell  upon  the  interesting  associations 
that  clustered  around  the  grand  old  city,  as  she  stood,  a 
huge  monument  of  the  past.  Her  ancient  history  was 
our  history;  her  people  wTere  of  our  race  and  lineage, 
and  possessed  our  language  and  literature.  He  loved  to 
linger  in  Westminster  Abbey,  and  stroll  slowly  through 
its  long  nave,  and  numerous  passages;  to  pause  at  the 
dust  of  the  illustrious  dead,  from  the  tombs  of  the  earliest 
monarchs,  statesmen,  warriors,  and  poets,  to  the  new- 


SKCONI)  TRIP  TO  EUROPE.  455 

made  grave  of  Lord  Maeaulay.  A  favourite  spot  with 
him  was  the  Tower  of  London,  with  its  rich  depository 
of  relics,  memorials  of  the  reign  of  every  monarch,  and 
its  countless  trophies  of  war. 

"  Still  more  did  he  love  the  British  Museum ;  he  never 
grew  tired  of  inspecting  its  wonderful  curiosities,  and 
looking  in  silent  admiration  upon  its  mammoth  library 
of  six  hundred  thousand  volumes. 

"  Paternoster  Kow,  (a  street  made  up  mostly  of  book 
stores,)  was  a  place  of  great  attraction  to  the  doctor.  He 
loved  to  explore  those  immense  second-hand  bookstores, 
where  rare  books  of  great  value  could  be  bought  for  a 
few  shillings.  He  did  not  preach  in  London,  on  this  visit 
to  the  city,  though  earnestly  pressed  to  do  so  by  Dr. 
Hamilton  and  others.  He  admired  the  spirituality  of 
Hamilton's  religion,  and  the  gospel  unction  that  imbued 
his  sermons.  He  heard  Baptist  Noel,  and  Dr.  Gumming; 
the  simple  gospel  preaching  of  the  former  pleased  him 
very  much;  the  latter,  he  never  admired.  Melville  was 
sick,  and  Spurgeon  was  taking  a  trip  to  the  continent; 
though  most  of  the  party  heard  him  more  than  once,  later 
in  the  season.  Mr.  Dallas,  who  was  then  the  American 
Minister  at  the  Court  of  St.  James,  presented  Dr.  Thorn- 
well  with  tickets  of  admission,  for  himself  and  friends, 
to  the  Parliamentary  debates.  They  were  present  at  an 
animated  discussion,  participated  in  by  Gladstone,  Pal- 
merston,  Lord  John  Russell,  and  others.  It  was  the  unani 
mous  opinion  of  the  party  that  Gladstone  was  incom 
parably  the  first  man  amongst  them,  the  balance  were 
poor  debaters,  except  Palmerston,  who  was  a  good  second- 
class  speaker." 

His  .next  letter,  written  from  Paris,  on  the  8th  of  Au 
gust,  possesses  no  general  interest,  and  we  pass  on  to 
another,  which  is  dated — 

"BASLE,  August  15,  1SGO. 

"MY  DEAREST  WIFE:  Here  we  are  in  Switzerland,  in  the  city  of 
Erasmus,  where  one  of  the  first  copies  of  the  Bible  was  printed.  Here, 


456        LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOENWELL. 

too,  three  hundred  and  twenty-four  years  ago,  when  persecution  was: 
raging  in  France  against  the  Protestants,  Calvin  published  the  first  edi 
tion  o'f  his  immortal  Institutes,  and  dedicated  it  to  Francis  the  First, 
in  defence  of  the  principles  and  faith  of  his  suffering  brethren.  Here, 
too,  a  council  was  held  in  1431,  which  elected  the  Duke  of  Savoy  as 
Pope.  The  city  is  divided  into  two  unequal  parts  by  the  river  Rhine, 
which  flows  through  it.  The  view  from  the  river  is  quite  striking. 
Our  hotel  is  immediately  on  the  river ;  and  our  rooms  look  out  upon  it, 
and  give  us  a  noble  and  refreshing  prospect.  Last  night  we  spent  at 
Baden-Baden,  where  Napoleon  lately  held  his  conference  with  the 
Princes  of  Germany.  It  is  a  fine  watering  place,  romantically  situated 
in  the  midst  of  mountains,  and  reminds  you  very  much  of  the  Virginia 
Springs.  This  place  is  particularly  celebrated  for  its  magnificent  arrange 
ments  for  gambling.  There  is  a  large  house,  with  splendid  saloons,  ele 
gantly  furnished,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  this  nefarious  business ; 
and  the  first  families  in  Germany  crowd  around  these  tables,  and  pat 
ronize  the  business.  There  is  one  immense  hall,  in  which  the  tables  are, 
and  the  other  saloons  are  for  promenading,  lounging,  eating,  and  what 
not.  by  way  of  attraction.  From  morning  till  midnight  the  work  goes 
on ;  and  you  find  ladies  as  freely  as  gentlemen,  Princes,  Dukes,  and 
Duchesses,  all  mingling  in  the  scene.  Of  course,  I  did  not  go  in ;  but 

and slipped  off  at  night,  taking  care  to  leave  their  money,  and 

reported  what  they  saw. 

"The  day  before  coming  to  Baden,  we  spent  at  Heidelberg.  This 
city  is  situated  in  a  narrow  vaUey,  on  the  banks  of  the  Neckar,  between 
two  ranges  of  mountains.  On  one  of  the  mountains  is  one  of  the  finest 
ruins  in  Europe.  It  is  an  old  castle,  which,  in  its  day,  was  a  city  within, 
itself.  The  views  from  the  towers  are  as  commanding  as  those  from 
the  highest  point  of  the  Warm  Spring  mountain,  in  Virginia.  The 
city  takes  name  from  the  huckleberries  that  grow  upon  the  mountains. 
Heidelberg  means  '  the  mountain  of  huckleberries. '  Here  I  found  Un 
derwood,  who  spent  two  years  under  me  at  Columbia.  As  soon  as  he 
saw  me,  he  threw  his  arms  around  my  neck,  and  hugged  me  for  very 
joy.  He  came  on  to  Baden  with  us,  and  spent  with  us  our  whole  time 
there.  You  may  well  guess  that  I  was  delighted  to  see  him.  At  Co 
logne,  where  I  spent  the  first  night  after  leaving  Brussels,  I  bought  a 
few  bottles  of  the  pure  water  for  you  and  Pattie.  They  sell  it  higher 
than  you  can  get  it  in  Columbia.  From  Cologne  I  went  to  Bonn, 
the  seat  of  a  flourishing  University ;  and  there  I  found  some  South 
Carolina  students.  Since  leaving  Brussels,  besides  Cologne,  Bonn,  and 
Heidelberg,  we  have  passed  through  the  beautiful  towns  which  lie  be 
tween  Bonn  and  Heidelberg — Coblentz,  Mayence,  and  Darmstadt ;  and 
also  Carlsruhe,  the  capital  of  Baden,  which  lies  between  Heidelberg  and 
Baden-Baden.  The  finest  city  between  Baden  and  this  place  is  Frei- 
bourg.  It  has  a  noble  situation,  in  a  spacious  valley  on  the  Rhine,  be 
tween  extensive  ranges  of  mountains  on  every  side.  The  whole  country 
on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine  is  enchanting.  The  river  is  skirted  by  moun- 


SECOND  TRIP  TO  EUROPE.  457 

tains,  and  on  both  sides  is  dotted  with  towns  and  villages;  while  the 
ruined  battlements  of  antiquated  castles  frown  upon  you  every  four  or 
five  miles.  The  valleys  are  luxuriant  with  the  vine,  with  corn  and  to 
bacco  ;  and  the  people  seem  cheerful,  contented,  and  happy.  Through 
the  fields,  and  all  along  the  road-side,  crucifixes  are  erected  of  wood,  some 
of  them  very  large,  to  secure  blessings  upon  the  country,  and  to  attract 
the  devotion  of  the  traveller.  They  always  excited  my  pity.  I  could 
not  but  lament  that  they  had  substituted  dead  images  of  wood  and  stone 
for  the  living  Saviour.  To-morrow  we  go  to  Geneva,  the  city  of  the 
great  Calvin,  where  wre  propose  to  make  our  headquarters  for  a  week  or 
ten  days,  and  where  I  expect  to  receive  letters  from  you. 

"It  seems  to  me  incredible  how  much  I  have  accomplished  since  the 
12th  of  June,  the  day  that  I  landed  at  Southampton.  In  two  months 
and  four  days  I  have  traversed  England,  Ireland,  and  Scotland.  I  have 
run  over  France,  Belgium,  and  a  considerable  portion  of  Germany ;  and 
am  now  in  Switzerland.  I  have  seen  so  much,  that  I  can  hardly  retain 
a  distinct  recollection  of  the  different  places  and  the  different  scenes. 
It  appears  to  me  like  a  dream  ;  and  at  times  I  am  almost  tempted  to 
doubt  that  it  can  be  true,  that  I  am  five  thousand  miles  from  home,  and 
in  a  foreign  land.  If  I  had  you  and  the  dear  little  ones  with  me,  I 
should  be  delighted  to  spend  the  winter  at  some  of  the  German  Uni 
versities,  and  give  myself  to  unbroken  study.  But  the  Lord  has  other 
work  for  me  to  do,  and  I  am  content.  One  great  benefit  of  travelling, 
is  to  make  us  prize  our  own  country.  After  all,  there  is  no  land  like 
our  own.  In  all  that  makes  a  people  great  and  powerful,  we  are  de 
cidedly  in  advance  of  Europe.  There  is  no  such  population  on  the 
globe  as  our  own ;  and  if  we  can  have  the  grace  to  deal  justly  and  hon 
ourably  with  one  another,  and  to  hold  together  as  a  people,  the  time  is  at 
hand  when  the  distinction  of  being  an  American  citizen  will  be  as  proud 
and  glorious  as  it  ever  was  to  be  a  citizen  of  Rome.  On  the  continent 
of  Europe  we  are  every  where  respected.  The  very  conductors  on  the 
railways  show  us  marked  civilities.  Our  example  is  looked  up  to  with 
deference ;  and  the  great  mass  of  thinking  men  sigh  in  their  hearts  for 
American  institutions.  We  are  felt  to  be  a  model  people.  What  a 
shame  it  wiU  be  to  forfeit,  by  our  follies  and  our  sins,  the  noble  inheri 
tance  to  which  Providence  has  called  us !  I  am  happy  to  say  that  the 
Church  in  America  is  very  far  ahead,  in  spirituality  and  power,  of  any 
Church  in  Europe.  I  have  kept  my  eye  closely  upon  this  point,  and  I 
am  sure  that  I  am  not  mistaken.  The  tone  of  piety  is  higher ;  the 
liberality  to  religious  institutions,  in  proportion  to  wealth,  is  greater ; 
and  the  efficiency  of  the  pulpit  superior  beyond  comparison.  Our 
church  edifices  are  better,  far  better,  in  their  adaptation  to  the  uses  of 
religious  worship.  In  technical  learning,  we  are  still  behind  ;  in  power 
of  pure  thought,  ahead.  Our  scholars  are  inferior;  our  men,  greater. 
But  I  forget.  I  am  not  writing  an  essay ;  I  am  wrriting  to  my  wife. 
You  must  excuse  me  that  I  permit  myself  to  think  aloud  in  your  de 
lightful  presence.  ******* 


458         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

"I  have  written  to  Liverpool  to  secure  rny  passage  on  the  22d  of  Sep 
tember.  If  so,  I  shall  leave  Geneva  in  eight  or  ten  days,  and  return  to 
Paris  by  Constance,  Augsburgh,  Munich,  Dresden,  Berlin,  Hanover,  and 
Brunswick.  After  you  receive  this  letter  you  need  write  no  more,  as  I 
bhall  probably  be  on  the  ocean  when  your  letters  would  reach  Liverpool. 
The  party  have  all  continued  well.  Jennie  was  a  little  outdone  by  the 
fatigue  of  travel  for  the  first  few  days  after  leaving  Paris,  but  is  quite 
recruited  again.  I  think  it  likely  that  none  of  the  party  will  attempt  to 
get  to  Rome,  though  J.  and  T.  have  their  hearts  mightily  set  upon  it. 
I  have  no  notion  of  hazarding  the  trip  myself.  My  thoughts  are  on 
Berlin,  the  metropolis  of  modern  learning. 

"It  is  now  late  at  night.  The  river  is  roaring  at  my  feet,  just  as  it 
sounded  in  the  ears  of  Caesar  nearly  two  thousand  years  ago.  His 
thoughts  were  those  of  ambition  and  of  conquest;  mine  are  of  wife, 
children,  and  friends.  Rome  was  the  centre  of  his  affections ;  a  little 
town,  in  the  remote,  and  then  unknown,  province  of  America,  is  mine. 
How  gladly  would  I  bridge  the  Rhine,  if  that  could  bring  me  home ! 

"  Kiss  all  the  children  for  me.  Remember  me  to  the  servants.  Tell 
all  the  congregation  that  I  remember  them  all,  and  trust  that  they  re 
member  me.  May  grace,  mercy,  and  peace  be  multiplied  upon  them  all. 

' '  Your  devoted  husband, 
^  J.  H.  THOBNWELL." 

To  the  same: 

"  GENEVA,  August  20,  18GO. 

"Mr  PKECIOUS  WIFE:  Here  I  am  in  Geneva,  the  city  of  Calvin,  of 
Beza,  of  Farel,  of  Viret,  of  Turretin,  and  of  Pictet.  I  have  stood  under 
the  same  canopy  which  covered  the  head  of  Calvin  three  hundred  years 
ago,  wnen  he  preached  the  gospel  in  the  dawn  of  the  Reformation.  The 
pulpit  has  been  destroyed,  but  the  canopy  still  remains.  The  church 
has  been  somewhat  remodelled,  but  ail  its  essential  features  are  un 
changed.  I  visited  also  his  grave,  i'here  is  no  monument  to  mark  the 
spot.  He  gave  orders  in  his  will  against  all  ostentation.  There  is  no 
thing  but  a  little  stone,  with  the  letters  '  J.  C.'  marked  upon  it ;  but  I  felt 
the  inspiration  of  his  genius,  of  his  learning,  and  of  his  piety,  as  I  stood 
over  the  earth  which  contained  his  mortal  remains.  I  visited  to-day  the 
Public  Library,  where  many  of  his  letters,  and  volumes  of  his  manuscript 
sermons,  are  preserved.  It  contains,  also,  portraits  of  all  the  illustrious 
men  of  Europe  during  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries.  I  could 
have  lingered  there  for  days.  The  site  of  Geneva  is  most  enchanting : 
on  a  beautiful  lake,  just  at  the  point  from  which  the  Rhone  emerges, 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  majestic  mountains.  It  is  a  fit  place*  for 
heroes  and  poets.  The  city  itself  is  not  striking.  The  ancient  part  is 
made  up  of  tall,  unseemly  buildings,  and  pervaded  with  very  dark, 
narrow  streets ;  but  the  suburbs  are  romantic  and  picturesque  beyond 
anything  that  I  have  seen  in  Europe.  I  had  also  the  satisfaction  of 


SECOND  TKIP  TO  EUROPE.  459 

meeting  here  Professor  Mansell,  of  Oxford,  whom  I  missed  seeing  in 
England.  He  and  his  family  are  here  qn  an  excursion  of  pleasure.  I 
found  him  very  simple  and  unassuming.  I  should  never  have  taken  him, 
from  his  appearance,  for  the  great  man  that  he  is.  We  had  at  dinner 
to-day  quite  a  learned  table.  Beside  Mansell  of  Oxford,  there  were  Taze- 
well  of  Rhode  Island,  Professor  Pierce  of  Cambridge,  near  Boston,  Dr. 
Adams  of  New  York,  and  several  others,  whom  I  cannot  take  time  to 
name.  This  is  a  great  place  to  see  the  world ;  everj-body  comes  here. 
Yesterday  we  attended  preaching  in  the  English  chapel,  and  heard  a  very 
evangelical  sermon.  At  night  we  had  a  meeting  of  the  Americans  in  Dr. 
Adams'  room.  The  room  was  crowded,  and  we  had  representatives  from 
no  less  than  eight  States.  I  led  the  meeting.  You  may  well  imagine 
that  it  was  very  refreshing. 

"To-morrow  we  make  an  excursion  to  Chamouni,  to  see  the  glaciers 
and  th',2  sea  of  ice.  We  have  already  had  a  distant  view  of  them,  and 
we  want  to  see  them  closer  at  hand.  When  we  return,  we  shall  set  our 
faces  homeward.  I  have  almost  given  up  my  expedition  to  Berlin, 
It  is  so  far,  and  I  am  getting  tired  of  travelling.  We  are  all  satiated 
with  sight-seeing,  and  are  anxious  once  more  to  be  in  our  native  land. 
I  count  the  days  until  the  time  of  going  on  board  the  Arabia,  and  then 
I  shall  count  them  until  I  reach  America.  The  Lord  be  with  you,  and 
bless  you,  and  keep  you. 

"  Your  devoted  husband,  , 

J.  H,  THORXWELL.*' 

To  the  same: 

**  GENEVA,  August  25,  I860. 

"My  DARLING  WIFE  :  Since  I  wrote  to  you  before,  we  have  made  an 
excursion  to  Chamouni,  in  Savoy,  where  we  enjoyed  the  grandest 
scenery  that  adorns  the  continent  of  Europe.  The  distance  from 
Geneva  is  fifty-four  miles.  We  set  off  in  a  heavy  rain,  but  before 
we  had  travelled  far,  the  clouds  dispersed,  the  sun  appeared  in  his 
strength,  and  the  mountains  rose  before  us  in  all  the  grandeur  of  their 
eternal  repose.  It  is  perfectly  idle  to  attempt  a  description  •  of  the 
wild  and  majestic  scenes  through  which  we  passed.  Our  road  lay  in 
the  valley  of  the  Arve;  and  at  times  we  seemed  to  be  entirely  sur 
rounded  by  beetling  crags,  to  which  it  almost  made  us  dizzy  to  look  up. 
The  summits  were  capped  with  snow,  transparent  streams  were  rattling 
down  the  sides,  and  occasionally  a  bold  waterfall  varied  the  magnifi 
cent  prospect.  As  we  ascended  the  mountain  on  the  other  side  of  Pont 
Pelessier,  Mount  Blanc  broke  upon  us  from  his  throne  of  rocks,  in  his 
diadem  of  snow ;  and  the  prospect  was  so  overwhelmingly  grand,  that 
the  first  impulse  was  to  fall  prostrate  to  the  earth,  and  adore  the  majesty 
of  God.  We  were  on  a  plain,  four  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea;  we  were  surrounded  by  mountains  on  all  sides,  from  five  to  six 
thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  plain,  and  in  full  view  before  us, 


460  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

toward  Mount  Blanc,  the  old  monarch  of  mountains,  nine  thousand  feet 
above  the  tallest  cliff  around  us.  The  clouds  girdled  its  sides,  the  sun 
shone  splendidly  on  its  summit,  and  the  snow  reflected  his  beams 
in  rays  of  living  glory.  Oh !  how  I  wished  that  you  had  been  with  us, 
to  enjoy  the  sight.  My  imagination  had  never  conceived  of  ought  that 
approximated  the  sublime  reality.  The  mountains  of  our  country  are 
rich,  and  beautiful,  and  picturesque  ;  but  the  Alps  are  awful.  It  is  tame, 
to  call  them  sublime ;  their  grandeur  is  absolutely  awful.  They  make 
you  hold  your  breath,  and  pause  before  them  in  deep  and  solemn  vene 
ration.  That  one  view  has  repaid  me  for  all  the  fatigue  and  anxieties  of 
the  journey.  At  Chamouni,  we  climbed  Montauvert,  and  went  to  the 
famous  sea  of  ice,  one  of  the  most  wonderful  glaciers  in  the  Alps.  It  is 
upwards  of  six  miles  long,  and  more  than  a  mile  wide ;  and  in  parts,  the 
ice  is  nearly  one  hundred  feet  thick.  It  is  a  marvel  of  this  marvellous 
region,  which  I  am  wholly  incompetent  to  explain.  Anderson  and  John 
nie  went  over  it ;  none  of  the  rest  of  us  had  the  courage  to  risk  it.  Just 
a  few  days  before,  three  young  Englishmen  had  perished  by  falling  into 
one  of  the  crevices. 

'  'After  an  absence  of  three  days,  we  returned  to  Geneva,  and  here  our 
party  divided.  Mr.  Douglas  left  this  morning  for  Italy.  We — that  is, 
Anderson,  Jennie,  Johnnie,  Thompson,  and  myself — remained  behind, 
"We  shall  spend  Sunday  here,  and  then  we  divide.  Johnnie  and  myself ,. 
and,  perhaps,  Thompson,  will  go,  on  Monday,  through  Zurich,  Linden, 
Munich,  Augsburgh,  and  Nuremberg,  to  Berlin ;  Anderson  and  Jennie 
will  go  through  Lyons  and  Marseilles  to  Paris.,  and  wait  for  us  there. 
I  shall  remain  in  Berlin  several  days,  and  then  return  to  Paris ;  and 
after  making  a  few  purchases  there,  set  out  for  Liverpool. 

"Jennie  enjoyed  Chamouni  very  much.  She  walked  down  Montau 
vert,  a  descent  of  about  five  miles,  and  suffered  no  inconvenience  from 
it.  We  ascended  it  on  mules  ;  and  in  places  the  path  was  so  narrow,, 
and  the  precipices  so  steep,  that  I  had  to  shut  my  eyes  to  keep  my  head 
steady.  Every  now  and  then  my  mule  would  stop  and  look  over  the 
precipice,  as  if  he  proposed  to  tantalize  me,  or  try  the  strength  of  my 
nerves.  I  think  I  must  have  walked  eight  or  ten  miles  in  the  course  of. 
one  day's  excursion.  If  you  were  only  with  me,  my  enjoyment  would 
be  perfect.  The  glorious  scenes  cannot  drive  away  home-sickness.  I 
think  of  you  in  the  Alps,  as  well  as  in  the  busy  hum  of  the  city,  or  on 
the  lone  highway  of  the  sea.  It  is  strange  to  me  that  the  inhabitants  of 
these  Alpine  passes  are  so  miserable  and  degraded  in  their  physical  ap 
pearance.  Their  throats  are  horribly  disfigured  with  goitre ;  their  heads 
are  large  and  flat ;  and  many  of  them  are  hardly  above  the  level  of  an 
idiot.  Where  nature  is  grandest,  man  is  meanest.  The  mountains  en 
dure  no  rivals.  But  one  thing  can  be  great  at  a  time ;  and  the  soul 
dwindles  where  rocks  tower  in  majesty. 

"  Yesterday  evening  Thompson  and  I  walked  about  four  miles  on  the 
edge  of  Lake  Leman.  The  moon  was  shining  in  her  beauty,  the  sky 
was  perfectly  clear,  the  waters  of  the  lake  as  smooth  as  a  mirror.  We, 


SECOND  TRIP  TO  EUKOPE.  461 

passed  terrace  after  terrace,  beautifully  adorned,  and  surmounted  by 
elegant  chateaux.  Among  others,  we  strolled  by  the  house  which  Byron 
occupied  when  he  sojourned  in  Geneva.  It  was  a  fit  place  for  a  poet ; 
and  I  could  not  but  think  of  his  beautiful  description  of  the  lake  in 
'  Childe  Harold.'  The  scene  was  romantic  ;  and  ever  and  anon  we  broker 
its  spell,  by  contrasting  with  its  calm  beauties  the  warmer  attractions  of 
home.  When  I  returned,  I  found  your  sweet  letter  of  the  31st  of  July, 
enclosing  another  from  Charlie,  and  my  cup  was  full.  I  poured  out  my 
heart  in  gratitude  to  God  that  He  had  preserved  you  all ;  and  I  prayed 
most  fervently  that  we  might  soon  meet  again,  to  talk  over,  in  gratitude 
and  praise,  the  things  we  had  witnessed. 

"  There  was  a  little  incident  on  our  journey  to  Chamouni,  which  I 
had  almost  forgotten  to  mention.  As  we  passed  through  one  of  the 
little  villages  that  line  the  road,  we  encountered  a  bridal  party,  rigged! 
out  in  all  the  pride  and  bravery  of  a  rustic  wedding.  The  bride  was 
gorgeously  adorned  with  flowers  and  ribands  for  a  Savoy  peasant's- 
daughter ;  the  bridegroom  was  in  his  best  attire  ;  and  the  party  of  rude 
friends  were  as  lively  as  a  gala  day  could  make  them.  As  we  moved 
slowly  along,  one  of  the  party  hailed  our  carriages,  and  regaled  us  with 
an  account  of  the  festive  scene.  A  dashing  maiden  posted  herself  near 
the  carriage,  drew  a  pistol,  levelled  it  at  us,  and  fired  it  in  our  faces,  to 
the  infinite  amusement  of  the  whole  crowd.  We  shouted  and  hurrahed 
with  the  rest,  and  all  seemed  to  be  happy  together.  It  was  all  a  good- 
natured  frolic;  and  I  never  saw  fun  so  sincerely  enjoyed  in  my  life. 
Nature  was  acted  out.  McM.  could  have  written  a  poem  on  the  occa 
sion.  The  village  was  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  which  commanded 
a  noble  view  of  Mount  Blanc  ;  and  the  contrast  was  refreshing  betwixt 
the  gayety  below,  and  the  awful,  frowning,  sullen  majesty  above  us. 

*'  I  am  afraid  that  you  will  think  that  I  am  losing  my  senses,  in  dwell 
ing  upon  these  frivolities  ;  but  they  relieve  the  monotony  of  travel,  and 
if  they  ainuse  you,  I  shall  be  content.  I  am  greatly  delighted  to  hear 
that  things  are  going  on  so  well  in  the  church,  and  I  bless  God  that  He 
has  given  me  such  a  colleague  as  Mullally.  I  anticipate  a  happy  time 
in  cultivating  with  him  the  vineyard  which  God  has  entrusted  to  our 
joint  care.  The  work  among  the  negroes  is  one  in  which  I  feel  a  special 
interest,  and  I  do  sincerely  pray  that  Charles*  may  be  led  to  the  know 
ledge  of  true  religion.  For  his  faithfulness  in  my  absence,  I  intend  to 
bring  him  a  handsome  present.  ***** 

"My  passage  is  taken  in  the  Arabia  for  Boston,  on  the  22d  of  Sep 
tember.  That  is  as  soon  as  I  can  leave,  in  justice  to  the  friends  who  have 
sent  me  abroad.  By  staying  until  then,  I  traverse  nearly  the  whole  con 
tinent  of  Europe.  On  Monday  I  leave  for  Berlin.  It  will  take  me 
three  days  to  get  there,  but  I  pass  through  historic  places  and  scenes. 

"Again,  dearest,  may  the  Lord  bless  you.      Jennie  and  Anderson 
send  much  love ;  for  everybody  loves  you,  and  I  more  than  all. 
"Your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 
*  His  body  servant,  in  whom  he  resposed  great  confidence. 


462  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HEJSTLEY  THOKKTWELL. 

It  was  in  the  ascent  of  the  Alps  described  in  the  fore 
going  letter  the  incident  occurred  which  we  have  recorded 
in  the  eleventh  chapter,  when  the  veil  of  mist  was  sud 
denly  lifted,  and  the  entire  glory  of  the  mountain  scenery 
burst  upon  his  sight  at  once, 'and  filled  his  heart  with 
adoring  wonder.  Though  broken  from  its  proper  con 
nection,  for  a  special  purpose,  in  the  place  we  have  chosen 
to  put  it,  the  reader  will  perceive  how  precisely  it  tallies 
with  the  expression  of  more  than  poetic  admiration  which 
fell  from  his  own  pen  in  this,  as  well  as  in  the  letter  that 
follows. 

To  General  James  Gillespie : 

"GENEVA,  August  25,   1860. 

"MY  DEAK  GENERAL:  In  this  distant  land  I  cannot  describe  to  you 
how  my  mind  reverts  to  the  friends  of  my  childhood  and  youth. 
I  tread  amid  the  monuments  of  the  buried  past,  or  gaze  upon  na 
ture  in  her  grandest  forms ;  but  the  heart  finds  its  home,  the  centre 
of  its  earthly  attractions,  far  beyond  the  swelling  mountains,  or  the 
the  majestic  deep.  If  there  be  a  region  on  earth  fitted  to  kindle  in 
the  soul  the  inspiration  of  great  thoughts,  that  region  is  the  one  in 
which  I  am  now  sojourning  for  a  brief  season.  Here,  more  than  three 
hundred  years  ago,  a  youthful  fugitive  from  France  was  arrested  in  his 
flight,  and  induced  to  take  up  his  permanent  abode.  The  world  has  felt 
the  influence  of  his  genius,  his  piety,  and  his  learning.  I  have  'seen  the 
spot  where  stood  the  house  in  which  John  Calvin  resided.  I  have  stood 
beneath  the  canopy  under  which  he  preached.  I  have  gazed  upon  the 
tombs  which  met  his  eye  as  he  ascended  the  throne  of  his  power,  the 
pulpit  of  St.  Pierre ;  and  have  paused,  in  grateful  meditations,  over 
the  humble  grave,  without  a  stone  or  monument,  which  covers  his 
mortal  remains.  I  bless  God  for  the  labours  and  sufferings  of  His 
honoured  servant.  Indeed,  for  the  last  six  weeks,  every  inch  of  the 
grcfund  beneath  my  feet  has  been  hallowed  ground.  At  Brussels,  my 
soul  swelled  with  the  thought  that  there  was  the  cradle  of  modern 
constitutional  liberty.  There,  William  of  Orange  conceived  that  glorious 
.  scheme  of  patriotism,  which  resulted  in  the  independence  of  Holland,  and 
formed  an  asylum  for  the  martyrs  and  confessors  of  England  and  France. 
I  went  into  the  very  hall  in  which  Charles  the  Fifth,  leaning  upon  the 
arm  of  the  young  Dutchman,  who  was  afterwards  to  shake  his  throne, 
resigned  his  sovereignty  in  favour  of  his  worthless  son.  I  gazed  upon 
the  palace  of  the  Duchess  of  Parma,  the  atrocious  Alva,  and  the  silly  Don 
John.  I  saw  the  very  spot  on  which  Horn  and  Egmont  were  executed  ; 
and  I  mused  along  the  very  squares  in  which  the  beggars  were  accus 
tomed  to  meet.  The  past  came  visibly  before  me.  And  then  a  few  miles 


SECOND  TRIP  TO  EUROPE.  463 

from  the  city  was  Waterloo,  that   place  of  skulls,  with   its   enormous 
mound,  and  its  endless  historic  interest. 

"  From  Brussels  I  proceeded  to  the  Khiiie,  the  stream  on  which  Ciesar 
gazed  two  thousand  years  before  I  was  born ;  and  as  I  traced  the  faded  mon 
uments  of  mediceval  chivalry,  and  of  mediaeval  superstition,  ruined  castles 
and  convents  and  nunneries,  I  felt  that  I  was  in  a  new  world,  and  for  a 
while  belonged  to  another  age.  I  went  up  the  Rhine  from  Cologne  to 
Bonn ;  from  Bonn  to  Mayence,  Heidelberg,  and  Baden ;  from  Baden  to 
Basle  ;  and  from  Basle  to  Geneva.  Here  Rousseau  was  "born ;  here  Vol 
taire  sported  his  wit ;  here  Byron  sojourned  for  a  season ;  and  here,  too, 
Maria  Louise  took  up  her  summer  residence  when  her  husband  was  in 
exile.  Here,  too,  flourished  Calvin  and  Farel,  and  Viret  and  Beza,  and, 
in  later  times,  the  Turretins  and  Pictets.  Here,  too,  slumbers  Sir 
Humphrey  Davy.  Here  lie  the  ill-starred  Neckar  and  his  illustrious  wife. 
But  the  grand  attraction  of  this  region  of  country  is  the  Alps.  I  have 
just  returned  from  an  excursion  to  Chamouni,  and  to  my  dying  day  I  can 
never  forget  the  impression  of  the  august  scenes  which  my  eyes  have 
beheld.  The  road  lay  through  the  valley  of  the  Arve.  On  both  sides  of 
the  river,  mountain  after  mountain  rises  in  awful  grandeur ;  and  the  path 
.of  the  traveller  is  under  frowning  crags  and  beetling  precipices,  to  which 
it  makes  him  dizzy  to  look  up.  As  we  ascended  the  mountain  beyond 
Pout  Pelessier,  Mount  Blanc  rose  upon  us,  from  his  throne  of  rocks,  in 
such  awful  sublimity  that  the  first  impulse  was  to  fall  down  and  worship 
the  terrible  majesty  of  God.  [Here  follows  a  similar  description,  of  de 
tails  as  in  the  preceding  letter.]  My  imagination  had  never  conceived 
such  a  spectacle.  I  gazed,  and  gazed,  and  gazed,  and  felt  that  I  could 
never  gaze  enough.  *  *  *  * 

"  I  could  keep  you  up  night  after  night  with  the  wonders  I  have  seen. 
But  my  native  land  is  dearer  than  ever.  America,  after  all,  is  the  coun 
try  for  me ;  it  is  the  country  in  which  man  is  himself.  May  the  Lord 
bless  you.  Most  devotedly, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

The  following  closes  this  series  of  letters  written  from 
Europe : 

"  ZURICH,  August  2<),  1800.  « 

"M\r  DARLING  WIFE  :  We  are'  lodged  to-night  in  a  hotel  which  over 
looks  the  beautiful  lake  of  Zurich,  just  at  the  point  where  the  Lhmnat 
emerges  from  it.  The  prospect  by  moonlight  is  as  calm  and  tranquil 
as  the  repose  of  a  peaceful  conscience*  The  mountains  in  the  distance 
furnish  a  striking  background ;  and  the  memory  of  the  illustrious  Zuiu- 
gle — who  was  second  only  to  Calvin  in  the  strength  of  his  genius  and 
the  perspicacity  of  his  views,  and  who  was  simultaneous  with  Luther  in 
the  promulgation  of  the  gospel — gives  a  hallowed  association  to  the 
place ;  which  loses  nothing  of  its  softness  from  the  history  of  the  illus 
trious  Lavater,  the  great  physiognomist,  who  was  born  and  murdered  in 


46-i  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOENWELL. 

-this  city.  The  gardens  upon  the  lake  are  tastefully  arranged,  and  the 
promenades  which  they  afford  are  most  enchanting.  The  waters  are  so 
•clear  that  you  see  the  fish  sporting  themselves  below,  and  children  amuse 
themselves  by  throwing  out  crumbs  of  bread,  for  which  the  finny  tribe 
strive  as  manfully  as  the  occupants  of  a  farm-yard  for  a  grain  of  wheat. 

"  We  spent  last  night  at  Fribourg,  a  most  picturesque  spot ;  and  I  was 
fool  enough  to  go  to  the  Cathedral,  and  hear  the  celebrated  organ,  which 
is  said  to  be  the  finest  in  the  world.  It  was  no  doubt  very  grand.  Every 
body  pronounced  it  unrivalled ;  but  I  was  so  green  that  I  could  hardly 
keep  from  going  to  sleep.  We  came  to  Berne  for  breakfast.  That  is  the 
capital  of  the  Swiss  Confederation.  Apart  from  the  view  which  it  affords 
of  the  Alps  in  the  distance,  and  its  attractive  promenades,  I  cannot  say 
that  there  is  anything  about  it  of  special  interest.  The  whole  country 
-of  Switzerland  is  charming.  The  valleys  are  as  lovely  as  the  mountains 
are  grand;  and  away  from  the  Alps,  the  people  .-seem  healthful,  indus 
trious,  and  robiist.  The  women  all  work,  like  negroes,  in  the  field. 
They  plough,  spade,  mow,  and  carry  burdens  on  their  shoulders.  They 
are,  like  oxen,  strong  to  labour.  The  hotels  of  Switzerland  are  about 
the  best  in  Europe.  The  enormous  amount  of  travel  makes  inn-keeping 
a  very  lucrative  business.  The  summer  climate  is  lovely,  soft,  and 
balmy,  regaled  alike  by  breezes  from  the  lake  and  mountains.  It  is 
just  the  country  that  would  take  your  eye. 

"In  the  library  of  this  city  are  whole  volumes,  in  manuscript,  of  the 
correspondence  of  the  Reformers  ;  and  what  is  particularly  interesting, 
are  three  letters,  in  a  neat,  fair  hand,  of  Lady  Jane  Grey  to  Henry  Bull- 
inger.  They  are  in  Latin.  I  have  not  yet  seen  them.  *  *  *  *  Our 
party  is  now  small.  Douglas  and  his  party  have  gone  into  Italy  ;  Thomp 
son  went  back  from  Geneva  to  Paris.  Anderson  and  Jennie  and  Johnnie 
are  now  my  only  companions.  The  air  of  Switzerland  has  agreed  finely 
with  Jennie ;  she  has  been  better  than  at  any  time,  except  when  we  were 
in  England.  It  has  also  been  very  propitious  to  me.  I  have  been  able  to 
take  a  great  deal  of  exercise  without  fatigue  ;  and  we  are  all  always  ready 
whenever  meals,  particularly  dinner,  are  announced.  But  I  am  tired 
-of  travelling ;  I  sigh  for  the  quiet  and  repose  of  home.  Sometimes  I 
am  tempted  to  break  away,  arid  come  home  without  completing  my  cir- 
cirit.  Had  it  not  been  for  those  with  me,  I  think  I  should  have  given 
out  three  weeks  ago.  But  I  sincerely  pray  that  the  Lord  may  soon 
bring  us  together  again,  no  more  to  part.  He  has  been  amazingly 
good ;  and  I  do  hope,  when  I  return,  to  serve  Him  better  than  .1  have 
done  before.  Let  us  trust  Him  at  all  times.  I  am  as  ever, 
"  Yours  devotedly, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 


The  party  of  eight  re-assembled  at  Paris,  and  there 
divided  again  on  their  route  homeward.  A  portion  sailed 
from  Havre,  while  Dr.  Thorn  well  and  his  suite  embarked 


SECOND  TRIP  TO  EUROPE.  465 

from  Liverpool.  The  only  incident  that  varied  the  re 
turn  voyage  was  a  severe  storm.  The  great  object  for 
which  the  trip  was  undertaken  seemed,  however,  to  be 
accomplished,  in  the  improvement  of  his  health,  and  the 
ability  to  resume  his  public  labours. 


CHAPTEE   XXXII. 

THE  LATE  WAR. 

RETURN  FROM  EUROPE.— THE  COUNTRY  UPON  THE  EVE  or  REVOLUTION. — 
RAPID  SUCCESSION  OF  EVENTS. — His  ESPOUSAL  OF  THE  CONFEDERATE 
CAUSE. — ORIGINAL  ATTACHMENT  TO  THE  UNION. —PROVED  BY  His  LET 
TERS.— His  COURSE  IN  REGARD  TO  NULLIFICATION. — His  ATTITUDE  IN 
1850.—  LETTERS  THEN  IN  REGARD  TO  SECESSION.— POSITION  IN  HALA 
TION  TO  THE  KNOW-NOTHING  MOVEMENT. — HISTORY  OF  THE  STEPS  LE  AD- 
IK  G  TO  THE  CRISIS  OF  1850. — His  CONTRARY  POSITION  IN  I860. — REA 
SONS  FOR  THE  CHANGE. — His  CASE  TYPICAL  OF  THE  SOUTH  GENERALLY. 

DR.  THOKNWELL  returned  from  Europe  to  find  the 
country  already  circling  within  the  eddies  of  a  mighty 
revolution.  He  landed  upon  his  native  shores  in  the 
month  of  September,  1860.  On  the  20th  of  the  follow 
ing  December,  South  Carolina  passed  her  Ordinance  of 
Secession  from  the  Federal  Union;  and  by  the  first  of 
February,  1861,  her  example  had  been  followed  by  the 
States  of  Mississippi,  Florida,  Alabama,  Georgia,  Louisi 
ana,  and  Texas.  A  Provisional  Government  for  the  seced 
ing  States  was  organized  on  the  4th  of  February,  a  Con 
stitution  was  adopted  on  the  8th,  and  on  the  9th,  the 
administration  was  set  on  foot  by  the  election  of  Mr.  Jef 
ferson  Davis,  as  President  of  the  new  Confederacy.  On 
the  15th  of  April,  1861,  Mr.  Lincoln  issued  his  proclama 
tion,  calling  for  75,000  troops,  to  suppress  the  so-called 
insurrection;  the  immediate  eifect  of  which  was  to  add 
Virginia,  Arkansas,  North  Carolina,  and  Tennessee  to 
the  roll  of  States  which  must  be  conquered. 

Into  this  movement  Dr.  Thornwell  threw  himself,  from 
the  beginning,  with  all  the  ardour  of  his  nature;  and  to 
the  day  of  his  death,  laboured  and  prayed,  with  patriotic 
fervour,  for  the  success  of  the  Confederate  cause.  He 

467 


•4:68  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

f 

was,  in  this,  an  eminent  type  of  the  great  body  of  the 
Southern  people;  who  relinquished  with  unspeakable  pain 
their  traditional  attachment  to  the  Union,  from  a  stern 
conviction  that  they  could  no  longer  live  under  it  with 
safety  or  with  honour.  For  this  reason  we  desire  the 
more  to  trace  his  political  career  throughout,  in  ordei 
that  through  this,  as  a  representative  case,  posterity  at 
least  may  pronounce  upon  the  supreme  necessity  which 
compelled  the  erection  of  another  government,  as  the  ark 
in  which  constitutional  liberty  might  be  preserved.  A 
future  generation  will  read  these  events  by  a  better  light 
than  the  present;  for  nothing  is  more  certain  than  that 
principles  will  work  themselves  out,  and  reveal  their  true 
nature,  in  the  results  which  they  produce;  and  no  men 
ever  committed  themselves  to  the  vindication  of  history 
with  greater  confidence,  than  those  who  embarked  in  this 
struggle  for  independence.  Such  men  as  Dr.  Thorn  well 
were  accustomed  to  take  broad  views  of  life,  and  were 
not  in  subjection  to  their  passions.  Indeed,  in  his  case, 
all  the  sentiment  and  the  prejudice  were  enlisted  upon 
the  other  side  of  the  question  from  that  which  he  espoused. 
His  letters  which  have  been  already  reproduced — writ 
ten  only  for  the  eye  of  his  family,  and  written  at  long  in 
tervals  and  under  different  surroundings,  sometimes  while 
traversing  the  great  West,  and  sometimes  visiting  foreign 
lands  across  the  sea — all  breathe  a  fervent  love  for  the 
country  as  a  whole.  He  gloried  in  the  American  name. 
He  rejoiced,  almost  in  the  spirit  of  covetousness,  in  the  ac 
quisition  of  territory,  as  extending  the  area  of  civil  free 
dom,  and  adding  to  the  splendour  and  triumph  of  repub 
lican  principles.  His  imagination  was  dazzled  with  the 
vision  of  an  entire  continent  covered  with  a  net  work  of 
free  States,  and  bound  together  in  a  harmonious  confedera 
tion.  Although,  in  one  of  his  letters,  he  cannot  but  detect 
the  tendency  to  slide  from  a  Representative  Republic  into  a 
turbulent  and  lawless  Democracy,  with  singular  hopeful 
ness  he  counts  upon  the  intelligence  and  virtue  of  the 


THE  LATK  WAR.  469 

people  to  resist  the  danger,  and  to  preserve  the  spirit  as 
well  as  the  form  of  our  free  institutions.  It  is  impossible 
to  read  these  passages  in  his  correspondence,  without 
being  impressed  with  the  breadth,  as  well  as  the  fervour, 
of  his  patriotism.  It  gushes  so  freely  and  so  warmly 
from  his  heart,  as  to  burst  through  all  the  barriers  of 
section  and  of  party,  and  take  up  the  whole  country  into 
its  passionate  embrace. 

In  addition  to  this  general  evidence,  which  lies  suffi 
ciently  before  the  reader,  we  may  recur  to  two  periods 
in  his  history,  when,  as  a  pronounced  Union  man,  he 
took  open  ground  against  the  declared  policy  of  his  na 
tive  State.  Indeed,  as  a  mere  politician,  he  could  never 
have  risen  to  high  position  in  South  Carolina,  the  cur 
rent  of  his  views  being  in  opposition  to  the  prevailing 
sentiment  on  most  of  the  great  questions  of  his  day.  The 
first  of  these  two  periods  was  during  the  Nullification 
struggle  in  183^.  "South  Carolina,  as  well  as  a  number 
of  the  other  States,  held  that  the  power  to  levy  duties  on 
imports,  not  with  a  view  to  revenue,  but  to  protect  and 
aid  particular  classes,  was  not  delegated  to  Congress." 
An  odious,  because  discriminating,  tariff  had  been  borne 
so  long  as  it  wTas  necessary  to  provide  for  the  existing 
public  debt;  but  when  this  was  cancelled,  and  a  large 
surplus  was  accumulating  in  the  national  treasury,  she  de 
manded  that  this  tariff  should  be  conformed  to  a  revenue 
standard.  Failing  to  secure  this  modification  by  Congres 
sional  legislation,  she  interposed  her  prerogative  as  a 
sovereign  State  to  judge,  in  the  last  resort,  in  all  ques 
tions  affecting  her  own  rights,  restraining  the  general 
government  from  collecting  this  revenue  within  her 
limits.  We  have  no  concern,  in  this  connexion,  with 
tliis  measure,  except  as  a  simple  fact  of  history;  only 
adding  that  Congress  soon  afterwards  passed  what  is  com 
monly  known  as  the  "Force  Bill,"  clothing  the  Presi 
dent  with  the  power  necessary  to  enforce  the  collection, 
and  for  this  purpose  putting  at  his  disposal  all  the  land 


470  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

and  naval  forces.  Collision  was  imminent  between  the 
State  and  Federal  authorities,  which  was  averted  by  the 
famous  Compromise  Act  of  Mr.  Clay,  yielding  the  prin 
ciple  of  protection,  and  providing  "a  gradual  reduction 
of  duties,  until,  at  the  expiration  of  ten  years,  twenty  per 
cent,  ad  valorem  should  be  established  as  the  uniform 
rate." 

Against  this  policy  of  Nullification,  Mr.  Thornwell,. 
then  a  young  man  just  graduated  from  College,  con 
spicuously  planted  himself,  in  a  series  of  articles  through 
the  public  press.  These  early  fugitive  essays  we  have 
not  been  able  to  recover  and  identify,  and  cannot  state 
the  precise  grounds  of  his  opposition.  He  may  not  have 
regarded  the  issue  as  sufficiently  important  to  justify  so 
imperative  an  assertion  of  State  sovereignty,  which,  ab 
stractly,  he  always  admitted;  or  he  may  have  thought 
it  illogical  for  a  State  to  remain  in  the  Union,  and  yet 
resist  the  legislation  of  a  common  Congress.  For  there 
were  many  in  that  day  who  affirmed  the  right  of  seces 
sion,  and  did  not  recognize  nullification  as  the  proper 
remedy  against  the  abuse  of  power.  Nothing,  however, 
is  important  to  the  purpose  of  this  narative  beyond  the 
fact  itself,  that,  in  this  particular  conflict,  he  withstood 
the  pressure  of  public  opinion  in  his  State,  and  was  en 
rolled  in  the  number  of  those  who  were  designated  under 
the  party  name  of  "  Union  men." 

The  second  period  was  in  1850,  when  the  South  stood 
upon  the  brink  of  secession;  wThich  was  at  that  time 
averted  only  through  the  patriotic  interposition  of  Mr. 
Webster  and  Mr.  Clay.  It  will  be  necessary  to  trace 
briefly  the  steps  which  led  up  to  that  crisis.  The  agita 
tion  against  slavery  commenced  at  the  North  as  early 
as  1790,  within  two  years  after  the  adoption  of  the  Fed 
eral  Constitution,  and  within  twelve  months  after  Wash 
ington  was  inaugurated  as  President.  "A  petition, 
headed  by  Dr.  Franklin,  was  sent  to  Congress,  invoking 
the  Federal  authorities  to  take  jurisdiction  of  this  subject, 


THE  LATE  WAR.  471 

with  a  view  to  the  ultimate  abolition  of  this  institution  in 
the  States  respectively."  To  which  it  was  replied,  in  the 
resolution  adopted,  "  that  Congress  have  no  authority  to 
interfere  in  the  emancipation  of  slaves,  or  in  the  treat 
ment  of  them,  in  any  of  the  States;  it  remaining  with  the 
several  States  alone  to  provide  any  regulations  therein, 
which  humanity  and  true  policy  may  require."  This  de 
serves  to  be  noted,  as  showing  how,  from  the  beginning, 
the  question  as  to  the  powers  of  the  general  government 
was  interwoven  with  the  slavery  agitation,  the  former 
being  the  true  pivot  on  which  the  controversy  turned; 
the  latter,  simply  the  medium  through  which  the  aggres 
sions  of  the  central  power  were  constantly  pressed.  ]STo 
proper  understanding  can  be  had  of  the  causes  of  the 
late  war,  without  bearing  in  mind  the  interpenetration  of 
these  two  questions,  the  convolution  of  the  one  within  the 
other. 

The  struggle,  once  begun,  was  destined  more  and  more 
to  force  its  way  into  American  politics.  In  1803,  France 
•ceded  to  the  United  States,  in  the  Louisiana  purchase,  a 
vast  territory,  extending  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the 
extreme  north,  on  parallel  49°  of  north  latitude,  far  up 
the  Mississippi  river,  to  Iowa  and  Minnesota;  including 
Kansas  and  ^Nebraska,  if  not  Oregon,  and  of  course  Mis 
souri  and  Arkansas ;  and  stretching  westward  to  the  Rocky 
mountains.  In  the  treaty  by  which  this  immense  domain 
was  acquired,  it  was  stipulated  that  "the  inhabitants  of 
the  ceded  territory  shall  be  incorporated  in  the  Union  of 
the  United  States,  and  admitted  as  soon  as  possible,  ac 
cording  to  the  principles  of  the  Federal  Constitution,  to 
the  enjoyment  of  all  the  rights,  advantages,  and  immu 
nities  of  citizens  of  the  United  States;  and  in  the  mean 
time  they  shall  be  maintained  and  protected  in  the  free 
enjoyment  of  their  liberty,  property,  and  the  religion 
which  they  profess."  Under  the  double  obligation,  there 
fore,  of  constitutional  law  and  of  treaty  stipulations,  the 
States  carved  out  of  this  territory  were  to  be  admitted 


472  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

upon  the  same  footing  with  the  States  already  in  the- 
Union.  When,  however,  in  1818,  Missouri  knocked  at 
the  door  of  Congress  for  admission  upon  these  terms,  the 
attempt  was  made  to  fasten  upon  her  the  restriction  of 
slavery,  in  the  provision  "  that  the  further  introduction  of 
slavery,  or  of  involuntary  servitude,  be  prohibited,  except 
for  the  punishment  of  crimes,  whereof  the  party  shall  have 
been  fully  convicted;  and  that  all  children  born  within 
the  said  State,  after  the  admission  thereof  into  the  Union, 
shall  be  free  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years."  The  dis 
cussion  which  ensued  shook  the  country  to  its  centre,, 
during  the  two  years  in  wThich  it  was  protracted.  But,, 
as  the  character  of  the  speeches  in  Congress  clearly  shows, 
the  issue  was  simply  as  to  the  power  of  the  Federal  gov 
ernment  to  impose  the  restriction ;  and  upon  this  issue 
the  debate  exclusively  turned:  speakers,  North  and  South,, 
insisting,  without  any  regard  to  the  morality  or  the  policy 
of  slavery,  that  Congress  had  no  power  to  interfere  with 
it.  The  strife  was,  for  the  time,  composed  by  the  adop 
tion  of  the  well-known  Missouri  Compromise,  running  a 
geographical  line  along  the  latitude  of  thirty-six  degrees 
and  thirty  minutes,  above  which  slavery  was  for  ever  pro 
hibited,  and  below  which  it  should  be  allowed.  This  com 
promise  was  not  a  Southern  measure.  Its  real  author  was 
a  Senator  from  Illinois ;  and  it  was  reluctantly  accepted 
by  the  South,  upon  the  principle  of  a  division  of  the; 
public  domain  between  those  who  were  joint  partners  in. 
its  acquisition  :  a  division,  however,  by  which  she  acquired! 
only  about  232,000  square  miles,  against  nearly  668,000' 
acquired  by  the  North.  This  geographical  line,  too,, 
seemed  to  be  the  natural  boundary  of  slavery  under  the- 
law  of  climate,  fixing  the  habitat  of  the  negro;  so  that  to^ 
have  refused  it  might  appear  to  be  a  contest  for  a  pure  ' 
abstraction,  whilst  to  accept  it  promised  to  put  to  rest 
this  vexatious  assault  upon  her  institutions  and  rights.. 
Unfortunately,  it  conceded  the  principle  which  lay  at  the 
bottom  of  the  struggle ;  which  none  was  quicker  to  per- 


THE  LATE  WAR.  473 

ceive  than  the  sage  of  Monticello,  when,  lifting  himself 
up  in  his  retirement,  he  penned  these  memorable  words : 

"  I  had  for  a  longtime  ceased  to  read  newspapers,  or  pay  any  attention 
to  public  affairs,  confident  they  were  in  good  hands,  and  content  to  be  a 
passenger  in  our  bark  to  the  shore  from  which  I  am  not  distant.  But 
this  momentous  question,  like  a  fire-bell  in  the  night,  awakened  me,  and 
filled  me  with  terror.  I  considered  it  at  once  as  the  knell  of  the  Union. 
It  is  hushed,  indeed,  for  the  moment ;  but  this  is  a  reprieve  only,  not  a 
final  sentence.  A  geographical  line,  coinciding  with  a  marked  principle, 
moral  and  political,  once  conceived  and  held  up  to  the  angry  passions  of 
men,  will  never  be  obliterated  ;  and  every  new  irritation  will  mark  it 
deeper  and  deeper.  *  *  *  I  regret  that  I  am  now  to  die  in  the  belief, 
that  the  useless  sacrifice  of  themselves  by  the  generation  of  177G,  to 
acquire  self-government  and  happiness  to  their  country,  is  to  bo  thrown 
away  by  the  unwise  and  unworthy  passions  of  their  sons ;  and  that  my 
only  consolation  is  to  be,  that  I  live  not  to  weep  over  it." 

How  solemn  are  the  words  of  prophecy,  when  read  in 
the  light  of  their  fulfilment !  And  what  a  comment  upon 
the  vanity  of  human  glory,  that  the  hand  which  penned 
the  immortal  Declaration  of  Independence,  should  be  the 
hand  to  write  this  melancholy  epitaph  upon  the  insti 
tutions  of  his  country ! 

The  Missouri  Compromise  was  never  accepted  as  a 
finality  by  the  growing  Abolition  party  at  the  North. 
In  the  admission  of  Arkansas,  in  1836,  Mr.  John  Quincy 
Adams  moved  an  amendment  to  the  bill,  that  "nothing 
in  this  act  shall  be  construed  as  an  assent  of  Congress 
to  the  article  in  the  Constitution  of  the  said  State, 
in  relation  to  slavery,  or  the  emancipation  of  slaves." 
The  same  struggle  was  renewed  in  1845,  upon  the  admis 
sion  of  Texas;  although  both  States  lay  south  of  the  line 
of  division.  The  South,  in  both  cases,  asked  for  nothing 
more,  even  upon  this  conceded  territory,  than  that  "the 
people  of  the  new  States  might  regulate  their  domestic 
affairs  in  this  particular,  and  all  others,  as  they  might  in 
sovereign  conventions  determine  for  themselves,  without 
any  dictation  or  control  from  Congress,  one  way  or  the 
other."  This  makes  it  apparent  that  the  principle  which 


474  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

lay  in  the  heart  of  this  whole  controversy,  was  the  con 
stitutional  incompetency  of  the  general  government  to 
interfere  in  what  concerned  the  internal  polity  of  the 
State  alone. 

In  1846  the  Mexican  War  occurred.  In  the  anticipa 
tion  of  the  new  territory  likely  to  be  acquired,  the  cele 
brated  Wilmot  Proviso  was  introduced,  for  the  exclusion 
of  slavery  from  all  the  public  domain,  and  ignoring  entirely 
the  compact  of  1820.  The  issue  was  staved  off  for  a  time, 
until,  in  1848,  it  became  necessary  to  organize  a  territorial 
government  for  Oregon.  Mr.  Stephen  A.  Douglas  made 
a  manly  effort  to  apply  the  principle  of  the  Missouri  Com 
promise,  and  succeeded  in  carrying  the  Senate.  The 
House  of  Representatives,  however,  proved  obstinate; 
until  at  length  a  bill  passed  both  branches  of  the  national 
Legislature  with  an  unconditional  restriction  upon  slavery: 
"  that  there  shall  be  neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  serv 
itude  in  any  territory  which  shall  hereafter  be  acquired, 
or  be  annexed  to  the  United  States,  otherwise  than  in 
the  punishment  of  crimes,"  etc.  Thus,  on  the  12th  of  Au 
gust,  1848,  the  Missouri  Compromise,  which  had  been 
proposed  and  accepted  as  a  final  settlement  of  all  these 
issues,  in  the  language  of  Mr.  Stephens,  "fell  and  was 
buried  in  the  Senate,  where  it  had  originated  twenty- 
eight  years  before." 

We  are  upon  the  threshold  now  of  the  great  crisis  of 
1850.  The  treaty  of  peace  negotiated  with  Mexico  had 
secured  to  the  United  States  an  immense  domain  of 
several  hundred  thousand  square  miles,  in  the  acquisi 
tion  of  which  the  South  had  poured  out  blood  and  trea 
sure  equally  with  the  North.  The  new  territory  of  Cali 
fornia,  Utah,  and  New  Mexico,  must  be  disposed  of  in 
some  way.  The  principle  of  a  division  of  the  public 
estate  between  the  two  sections  having  been  repudiated, 
the  alternative  before  the  South  was  quiet  submission  to 
a  perpetual  exclusion  from  the  common  territory,  or  re 
sistance  in  some  form  more  effective  than  in  the  past. 


THE  LATE  WAR.  475 

The  first  was  not  to  be  entertained  for  a  moment.  It  in 
volved  the  abandonment  of  constitutional  rights,  and, 
therefore,  dishonour.  They  would  cease  to  be  equal  in 
the  Union.  Difference  of  opinion  obtained  as  to  the 
remedy.  Many  believed  the  only  solution  to  be  found 
in  a  separation  between  the  States;  others,  more  sanguine, 
hoped  the  Union  might  still  be  preserved  by  "the  re 
organization  of  parties,  to  bring  the  administration  of  the 
government  back  to  its  original  principles." 

The  agitation  was  profound  throughout  the  Southern 
States;  and  the  Thirty-first  Congress  met  in  December, 
1849,  under  circumstances  of  the  deepest  responsibility. 
The  debate  turned  upon  the  admission  of  California  as  a 
State,  with  an  anti-slavery  Constitution  adopted  by  her 
self.  To  this  feature  the  Southern  Representatives  did 
not  object;  but  they  steadfastly  resisted  her  admission, 
until  the  whole  territorial  question  should  be  satisfactorily 
adjusted.  Their  demand  was  simple :  "  that  there  should 
be  no  Congressional  exclusion  of  slavery  from  the  public 
domain ;  but  that,  in  organizing  territorial  governments, 
the  people  under  each  should  be  distinctly  empowered  so 
to  legislate  as  to  allow  the  introduction  of  slaves,  and  to 
frame  their  Constitution,  in  respect  to  African  slavery,  as 
they  pleased ;  and  when  admitted  as  States  into  the  Union, 
should  be  received  without  any  Congressional  restriction 
upon  the  subject."  After  a  long  struggle  in  both  Houses, 
what  is  known  as  the  Compromise  of  1850  was  adopted; 
sweeping  away  all  former  restrictions,  and  providing  that, 
"  when  a  territory,  or  any  portion  of  the  same,  shall  be 
admitted  as  a  State,  it  shall  be  received  into  the  Union 
with  or  without  slavery,  as  their  constitution  may  pre 
scribe  at  the  time  of  their  admission."* 

*  The  statement  of  political  events,  contained  in  this  chapter,  is  sim 
ply  condensed  from  the  Hon.  A.  H.  Stephen's  great  work,  "The  War 
between  the  States ;  "  and  to  ensure  accuracy,  it  has  been  couched,  as 
far  as  possible,  in  his  own  language.  Aside  from  the  guarantees  fur 
nished  in  the  reputation  of  the  author,  and  the  known  moderation  of  his 
political  views,  he  has  been  careful  to  substantiate  every  statement  by 


476  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

It  was  while  these  issues  were  yet  pending,  and  with 
the  public  mind  excited  almost  to  exasperation,  that  Dr.. 
Thornwell  opposed  the  idea  of  secession,  to  which  South 
Carolina  was  even  then  strongly  inclined.  He  could  not 
yet  despair  of  the  Republic.  Not  until  the  last  expedient 
was  exhausted  to  preserve  the  equality  of  the  States,  would 
he  abandon  the  hope  of  preserving  the  Union,  which 
he  so  sincerely  loved.  In  a  brief  article  from  his  pen,  of 
about  eight  pages,  in  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Review^ 
of  January,  1851,  and  which  is  marked  No.  I,  in  the- 
Appendix  to  this  volume,  he  sets  forth  his  views  with 
distinctness  and  power.  He  insists  that  the  South  de 
manded  only  justice ;  that  it  remained  with  the  North 
to  determine  whether  the  Union  shall  be  preserved ;  that 
the  plea  of  conscience,  and  "a  higher  law,"  cannot  be- 
allowed  to  override  the  plain  provisions  of  the  Constitu 
tion  ;  that  the  alternative,  in  that  case,  would  be  to  with 
draw  from  a  compact  they  can  no  longer  fulfil;  and 
points  out  the  fallacy  upon  which  these  conscientious 
scruples  are  based.  On  the  other  hand,  he  pleads  with 
his  own  section  to  consider  well  the  consequences  flowing- 
from  a  separation;  and  in  glowing  terms  depicts  the 
glory  of  that  mission  which  this  country  is  called  to 
fulfil.  The  whole  essay,  brief  as  it  is,  is  replete  with 
noble  thoughts;  and  glows  with  an  ardour  all  the  more- 
intense  from  the  effort  to  restrain  it  within  language  as- 
calm  as  Christian  philosophy  can  suggest.  We  would 
quote  from  it,  but  for  the  difficulty  of  separating  any 
portion  from  its  connexion,  without,  in  some  degree,  mis 
representing  his  position  upon  the  subject  as  a  whole.  It 
would  not  be  difficult  to  construct  from  it  his  whole  po 
litical  creed,  if  this  were  not  sufficiently  revealed  by  sub 
sequent  events. 

reference  to  the  original  authorities.  Those,  however,  who  distrust  any- 
book  on  this  subject  which  is  of  Southern  origin,  are  referred  for  similar 
statements  to  a  work  entitled  "  The  Origin  of  the  War,"  by  George  Lunt, 
of  Boston,  and  identified,  we  believe,  with  its  press. 


THE  LATE  WAR.  477 

It  is  proper,  however,  to  give  the  substance  of  two  let 
ters,  written  at  this'period,  revealing  the  intensity  of  his 
feelings  in  the  matter.  He  writes  in  the  following  ner 
vous  strain  to  his  friend,  Dr.  R.  J.  Breckinridge,  under 
date  of  March  28th,  1851:  . 

"Mr  DEAR  BROTHER  :  I  received  your  kind  and  welcome  letter  night 
before  last.  The  approbation  which  you  expressed  of  my  short  and 
hasty  notice  of  a  few  sermons  upon  the  great  subject  of  the  day,  was 
very  cheering  to  my  heart.  The  state  of  feeling  here  is  really  appalling, 
and  such  sentiments  as  those  which  I  have  ventured  to  express  are  any 
thing  but  popular.  I  have  been  gloomy  and  depressed  at  the  prospect 
before  us  ;  but  I  see  nothing  that  can  be  done  here  but  to  commit  the 
matter  to  our  sovereign  God.  When  I  trace  the  successive  steps  of  our 
national  history,  I  behold  at  every  point  the  finger  of  the  Lord.  I  can 
not  persuade  myself  that  we  are  now  to  be  abandoned  to  our  follies,  and 
permitted  to  make  shipwreck  of  our  glorious  inheritance.  I  still  hope 
that  the  arm  which  has  been  so  often  stretched  out  in  our  behalf,  will 
be  interposed  again.  South  Carolina,  however,  seems  bent  upon  seces 
sion.  The  excitement  is  prodigious.  Men,  from  whom  one  would  have 
expected  better  things,  are  fanning  the  flame,  and  urging  the  people  on 
to  the  most  desperate  measures.  From  the  beginning  I  have  opposed, 
according  as  I  had  opportunity,  all  revolutionary  measures.  But  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  many  of  our  clergy  are  as  rash  and  violent  as  the  rashest 
of  their  hearers.  Sometimes  I  seem  to  myself  to  perceive  that  the  tide  is 
beginning  to  ebb  ;  and  it  is  possible  that  time  may  bring  with  it  discre 
tion.  But  I  can  assure  you  that  things  look  gloomy  enough.  You  can 
not  imagine  how  the  matter  preys  upon  my  spirits.  It  is  the  unceasing 
burden  of  my  prayers. 

' '  Did  you  receive  a  copy  of  my  sermon  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Calhoun  ? 

I  sent  you  one,  but  have  never  heard  whether  you  received  it  or  not. 

*****. 

As  ever, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL.*' 

The  second  letter  is  addressed,  a  year  earlier,  to  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Hooper,  of  North  Carolina,  a  former  colleague 
of  his  in  the  College  faculty.  It  bears  date,  March  8th, 
1850;  from  which  we  extract  the  portion  that  relates  to 
the  state  of  the  country : 

"  I  can  well  and  heartily  sympathize  with  you  in  your  despondency  in 
regard  to  the  condition  of  the  country.  T*he  times  are  indeed  portentous. 
The  prospect  of  disunion  is  one  which  I  cannot  contemplate  without  ab 
solute  horror.  A  peaceful  dissolution  is  utterly  impossible.  There  are 


478  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

BO  many  sources  of  discord  and  controversy :  the  division  of  the  army, 
the  navy,  the  territories ;  so  that,  however  disposed  we  might  be  to  an 
amicable  separation,  the  settlement  of  these  points  would  inevitably,  and 
that  very  soon,  engender  a  war.  And  a  war  between  the  States  of  this 
confederacy  would,  in  my  opinion,  be  the  bloodiest,  most  ferocious,  and 
cruel,  in  the  annals  of  history.  Then,  again,  the  attempt  to  construct 
other  governments,  the  formation  of  new  constitutions,  in  this  age  of 
tumults,  agitation,  and  excitement,  when  socialism,  communism,  and  a 
rabid  mobocracy  seem  everywhere  to  be  in  the  ascendant,  will  lead  to  the 
most  dangerous  experiments,  the  most  disastrous  schemes.  I  have 
hardly  been  able  to  sleep  in  consequence  of  the  deep  conviction  with 
which  I  am  oppressed  of  the  evils  that  threaten  us ;  and  my  unceasing 
prayer  is,  that  God  would  interfere  for  our  relief.  Yain,  in  this  crisis, 
is  the  help  of  man.  I  agree  with  you,  that  every  believer  in  Jesus  Christ 
is  most  solemnly  warned,  by  the  signs  of  the  times,  to  wrrestle  with  the 
Angel  of  the  Covenant  in  behalf  of  our  bleeding  country.  The  interests 
of  the  Saviour's  kingdom  are  too  intimately  connected  with  the  perma 
nence  and  prosperity  of  this  great  confederacy,  to  allow  any  disciple  to 
be  a  calm  spectator  of  passing  scenes.  In  the  destruction  of  our  gov 
ernment,  the  civil  wars  that  shall  follow,  the  agitation  of  socialist  and 
atheistic  principles,  the  upheaving  of  society  from  its  very  foundations, 
the  anarchy  and  chaos  that  shall  brood  upon  the  land,  where  are  to  be 
the  schemes  of  the  different  churches  for  the  conversion  of  the  world  ? 
I  cannot  dwell  upon  the  subject.  May  the  Lord  mercifully  turn  the  tide, 
and  send  peace  and  prosperity,  at  least  in  our  days." 

The  following  letter,  addressed  to  Mr.  A.  H.  Pegues,  of 
Oxford,  Mississippi,  discloses  his  predilection  for  what  was 
known  as  the  American,  or,  more  popularly  still,  as  the 
"Know-Nothing"  party.  His  attachment  to  the  Federal 
Union  was  yet  so  strong  that  he  gave  his  adhesion  to 
almost  any  organization  that  held  out  the  least  promise 
of  preserving  it.  At  any  rate,  the  letter  is  a  record  of 
his  opinion  upon  one  phase  of  the  politics  of  the  day: 

"SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  July  26,  1855. 

"DEAR  SANDY:  I  received  your  welcome  and  long-looked-for  letter 
just  on  the  eve  of  a  short  excursion  into  Georgia,  and  delayed  answering 
it  until  after  my  return.  You  certainly  did  promise  to  write  to  me  upon 
your  arrival  at  home,  and  I  have  been  seriously  at  a  loss  to  account  for 
your  silence.  As  y  ">u  were  in  some  terror  of  the  yellow  fever  when  you 
left  me,  I  did  not  know  but  you  might  have  quietly  departed  this  life, 
without  letting  any  of  your  friends  know  what  had  become  of  you.  The 
papers  did  not  record  your  death,  and  I  heard  nothing  from  your  family. 
So  I  still  lived  in  hopes  that  you  might  yet  come  to  light. 


THE  LATE  WAR. 

"Well,  I  am  glad  that  you  are  alive  and  kicking.  I  could  wish,  how 
ever,  that  yo\i  would  kick  against  something  more  worthy  to  be  kicked 
against  than  the  American  party.  You  know  that  I  always  was  perverse 
in  politics.  I  was  not  a  JSulliner  in  South  Carolina,  and  I  could  not 
have  been  a  Repudiator  in  Mississippi.  My  heresies  in  these  respects 
might  have  prepared  you  for  finding  me  in  the  ranks  of  the  only  organi 
zation  which,  in  my  judgment,  can  save  the  country  from  impending 
ruin.  There  is  not  a  principle  of  the  American  party,  so  far  as  its  prin 
ciples  are  known,  which  does  not  command  my  most  cordial  approba 
tion.  Tts  appearance  and  success  is  the  most  remarkable  phenomenon 
of  these  remarkable  times ;  and  if  it  fails,  our  last  hope  for  the  Union 
is  gone.  But  I  shall  not  argue  politics  with  you,  though  I  cannot  but 
hope  that  we  may  yet  see  eye  to  eye  on  this  subject.  I  am  intensely 
anxious  that  the  whole  South  should  come  up  as  one  man  to  the  Ameri 
can  ranks.  We  shall  soon  hear  from  Tennessee  ;  then  comes  North 
Carolina  ;  then  your  State  ;  and  if  they  lead  off  properly,  the  rest  of  the 
South  will  follow,  and  the  Republic  may  be  saved.  *  *  * 

"  I  set  out  to-morrow  for  the  old  Pee  Dee.  Do  you  not  wish  that  you 
could  be  with  me  ?  How  it  would  delight  us  to  revisit  our  old  haunts, 
and  talk  of  ancient  days !  I  do  not  think  I  could  go  to  General  Gil- 
lespie's  mill  without  tears  ;  I  have  not  been  there  since  you  and  I  were 
there  together. 

"As  ever,  most  truly, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 


With  these  prepossessions  in  favour  of  the  national 
Union  interwoven  with  every  fibre  of  his  being,  and 
strengthened  by  the  very  eifort  to  retain  them  against 
a  surrounding  pressure,  how  are  we  to  account  for  his 
attitude  in  1860,  when,  abandoning  his  old  traditions,  lie 
flung  himself  into  the  struggle  to  establish  a  separate  gov 
ernment,  with  a  zeal  second  to  that  of  no  other  man  in 
the  Southern  Confederacv?  The  change  is  immensely 

«/  t, 

significant,  as  showing  how  the  thousands  of  thoughtful, 
conscientious,  patriotic,  and  Christian  men  in  the  South 
felt  constrained  at  last  to  rise  up  together,  and  strike  for 
independence.  A  few  sentences  will  fill  the  gap  in  the 
political  history  of  these  times.  The  adjustment,  effected 
wTith  so  much  difficulty,  and  which  placed  the  govern 
ment  back  upon  its  original  foundations,  was  not  permit 
ted  to  stand.  The  Compromise  of  1850,  if  the  term  be 
not  a  misnomer  when  applied  to  the  mere  assertion  of  a 


480  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

principle,  was  doomed  to  fall,  like  its  predecessor  of  1820. 
This  brought  despair  to  hearts  which  before  had  glowed 
with  hope.  The  agitation  was  renewed  in  1854,  when  it 
became  necessary  to  frame  territorial  governments  for 
Kansas  and  Nebraska.  The  doctrine  of  Federal  inter 
vention  was  again  broached;  and  the  fanatical  party, 
which  had  always  trampled  upon  the  Missouri  Compro 
mise,  now  proclaimed  it  a  sacred  and  binding  compact. 
This  was  clearly  but  a  parliamentary  device,  under  cover 
of  which  the  prerogative  of  Congressional  interference 
might  be  again  resumed.  But  the  South  had  recovered 
the  principle  which,  in  1820,  had  been  yielded;  and, 
taught  by  the  experience  of  the  past,,  she  refused  to  com 
promise  it  a  second  time.  The  Kansas-Nebraska  bill, 
framed  in  conformity  with  the  measures  of  1850,  was 
passed,  it  is  true ;  but  the  whole  subject  had  been  re 
opened,  exposed  to  all  the  fluctuations  of  popular  opinion. 
Distrust  and  suspicion  were  sown  throughout  the  South;  a 
great  impulse  had  been  given  to  fanaticism  in  the  North  ; 
uneasiness,  and  a  sense  of  insecurity,  everywhere  pre 
vailed.  The  raid  of  John  Brown  at  length  occurred  ;  the 
accomplices  in  his  crime  were  sheltered,  not  only  by 
public  approval,  but  by  official  protection;  the  rendition 
of  fugitive  slaves  continued  to  be  refused,  in  the  face  of 
constitutional  provisions  and  Congressional  enactments, 
until  the  "irrepressible  conflict "  was  openly  declared;  the 
doctrine  of  "a  higher  law"  was  proclaimed  subversive  of 
all  compacts  and  pledges;  and,  as  the  climax,  the  canvass 
of  1860  resulted  in  the  election  of  a  sectional  candidate, 
by  a  sectional  vote,  who,  by  the  force  of  his  position,  was 
only  the  president  of  a  party,  and  was  pledged  to  carry 
out  the  political  theories  of  the  section  which  had  ad 
vanced  him  to  power.  In  short,  the  precise  issue  upon 
which  the  long  legislative  battle  had  been  fought  upon 
the  floor  of  Congress,  was  concluded  against  the  rights  of 
the  South,  in  the  foregone  and  fore-announced  interdic- 


THE  LATE  WAR.  481 

-tion  of  slavery  in  the  territories.*  In  this  event,  the 
•South,  in  all  her  utterances,  stood  committed  to  a  separa 
tion  ;  and  nothing  remained  but  the  execution  of  her 
purpose  in  actual  secession.  Under  what  forms  this  was 
achieved  in  eleven  States,  how  these  were  confederated 
under  a  union  and  constitution  of  their  own,  and  how 
they  were  overthrown  in  a  long  and  disastrous  war — these 
#re  facts  of  history,  which  need  no  recital  here. 

This  altered  attitude  of  the  North  wrought  the  change 
in  Dr.  Thornwell's  course  which  we  shall  have  occasion 
presently  to  exhibit.  He  had  loved  the  Union  with  a 
passion  almost  rising  to  idolatry ;  but  it  was  the  Union 
which  the  Constitution  had  created.  When  the  necessity 
•came  to  elect  between  the  two,  it  could  not  be  doubtful 
upon  which  the  choice  would  rest.  The  same  principles 
which  had  led  him  to  cling  to  the  national  ensign,  so  long 

O        f  & 

•us,  hope  remained  of  preserving  its  symbolic  significance, 
•carried  him  away  from  it  when  that  hope  had  fled.  The 
same  patriotism  which  gloried  in  the  principles  of  Amer 
ican  constitutional  liberty,  transferred  his  affections  to 
that  which  gave  some  promise  of  their  perpetuation.  The 
change  was, not  in  him.  He  was  the  same  man,  with  the 
same  principles,  affections,  and  desires.  But  the  object  of 
his  hope  was  different :  he  turned  slowly  and  sadly  from 

*  That  the  South  did  not  misinterpret  the  import  of  Mr.  Lincoln's 
election,  is  proved  by  the  speech  of  Mr.  Chase,  afterwards  Mr.  Lincoln's 
Secretary  of  Treasury,  in  the  Peace  Congress,  on  the  6th  of  February, 
1861,  after  the  secession  of  seven  States  had  been  accomplished.  In 
Ihis  speech  he  frankly  declares,  "this  election  must  be  regarded  as  a 
triumph  of  principles,  cherished  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  the  Free 
States."  "Chief  among  these  principles  is  the  restriction  of  slavery 
•within  State  limits  :  fixed  opposition  to  its  extension  beyond  them.  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  the  candidate  of  the  people  opposed  to  the  extension  of 
slavery.  We  have  elected  him.  After  many  years  of  earnest  advocacy 
and  of  severe  trial,  we  have  achieved  the  triumph  of  that  great  principle. 
Do  you  think  we,  who  represent  this  majority,  will  throw  it  away?"  He 
declares,  also,  that  the  North  never  will  consent  to  the  reclamation  of 
fugitive  slaves,  and  that  the  constitutional  provision  requiring  it  must 
t>e  a  dead  letter,  (see  it  quoted  in  Mr.  Stephen's  "War  between  the 
States,"  Vol.  2,  pp,  46-49.) 


482  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORJSTWELL. 

the  old,  which  had  disappointed  him,  to  the  new,  in  which 
all  that  he  hoped  and  wished  were  now  enshrined.  It 
will  not  do  to  say,  that  lie  was  swept  away  by  a  current 
he  found  himself  incapable  of  resisting.  He  was  a  man 
that  had  been  stemming  currents  all  his  life ;  and,  in  the 
sphere  of  politics,  had  shown  a  tenacity  of  convictions 
that  was  amazing.  Not  a  solitary  instance  can  be  pro 
duced  from  his  entire  record,  in  which  he  ever  surrendered 
his  owrn  convictions  of  truth  or  duty.  He  often  yielded 
where  opposition  was  useless,  for  he  was  not  factious  ; 
but  he  never  supported  a  measure  which  did  not  command 
his  own  approval.  Nor  is  it  sufficient  to  allege  that,  in 
recognizing  the  doctrine  of  State  sovereignty,  he  simply 
bowed  to  the  decision  of  South  Carolina,  and  accepted  her 
fortunes  as  his  own.  This  would  explain  acquiescence, . 
bat  not  the  enthusiasm  with  which  he  laid  her  cause  upon 
his  heart,  nor  the  devotion  with  which  he  sacrificed  all 
that  was  dear  to  its  success,  nor  the  attrition  of  care  and 
grief  w^hich  helped  to  wear  out  his  feeble  life  so  much  the 
sooner.  Far  less  than  either  from  the  truth  is  the  stale 
charge,  that  the  tremendous  hazard  was  incurred  in  the 
interest  and  for  the  preservation  of  slavery.  Indeed,  this 
never  was  more  than  the  occasion  of  the  war,  either  North 
or  South.  It  was  the  mere  rallying  cry  on  both  sides,  to 
marshal  the  hosts  into  ranks,  a  concrete  and  tangible 
issue  upon  which  to  concentrate  the  masses.  The  cause 
lay  deeper,  in  the  irreconcilable  theories  maintained  as 
to  the  nature  of  the  government;  in  comparison  with 
which  all  the  interest  and  property  vested  in  "  the  pecu 
liar  institution"  were  as  dust  in  the  balance.  In  relation 
to  this,  however,  it  may  be  incumbent  on  the  writer  to 
mention  here  a  fact  connected  with  the  subject  of  these 
Memoirs,  which  perhaps  is  known  only  to  himself.  Dr. 
Thornwell  said  to  him,  in  1861,  that  whilst  in  Europe  he 
had  made  up  his  mind  to  move,  immediately  upon  his  re 
turn,  for  the  gradual  emancipation  of  the  negro,  as  the 
only  measure  that  would  give  peace  to  the  country,  by 


THE  LATE  WAR.  483 

taking  away,  at  least,  the  external  cause  of  irritation. 
"  But,"  added  he,  ;<  when  I  got  home,  I  found  it  was  top 
late;  the  die  was  cast."  So  far  was  he  willing  to  go  in 
the  spirit  of  sacrifice,  to  preserve  the  integrity  of  that 
Union  which  he  so  reluctantly  abandoned.  How  useless 
the  sacrifice  would  have  been,  is  apparent  to  those  who 
have  studied  this  conflict  as  to  the  true  theory  of  the  gov 
ernment,  from  the  convention  of  1787  to  the  present  hour. 
An  incidental  expression  occurs  in  one  of  Dr.  Thorn- 
well's  previous  letters,  which  gives  the  key  to  his  whole 
course.  In  it  he  speaks  of  "  an  American  spiri^"  in  this 
country ;  and,  in  antagonism  to  it,  what  he  terms  "  a 
Yankee  spirit,"  which  must  be  put  down  and  controlled 
by  the  former.  Just  so  long  as  the  government  was  ad 
ministered  in  the  American  or  national  spirit — nay,  just 
so  long  as  there  was  hope  of  bringing  it  back  to  the  same, 
from  temporary  aberrations — so  long  he  clung  to  the  Union 
with  almost  religious  devotion.  When  the  sectional  spirit 
finally  triumphed,  and  the  entire  Federal  authority  was  to 
be  employed  in  enforcing  its  narrow  and  prescriptive 
policy,  any  peril  seemed  a  refuge  from  its  ascendency. 
In  this,  he  undoubtedly  represented  the  views  and  feelings 
of  all  his  people.  And  to-day,  if  the  country  will  but 
learn  from  the  bitter  experience  it  has  encountered,  the 
South  will  forget  her  sufferings,  and  displace  her  resent 
ments,  and  will  rise  as  one  man  to  meet  the  North  in 
placing  the  government  upon  its  old  tasis.  Not  hanker 
ing  after  slavery,  which  she  has  abandoned  for  ever,  she 
will  be  content  if  the  government  only  be  administered 
in  "  the  American  spirit."  But  if  not,  she  will  calmly 
float  upon  the  current  of  events,  without  any  sense  of 
humiliation  before  men,  in  the  quiet  consciousness  of  her 
integrity;  perfectly  assured  that  a  nation  which  resiles 
from  its  own  principles,  however  great  may  be  its  mate 
rial  prosperity,  only  dances  for  a  little  while  as  a  bubble 
upon  the  wave,  and  dances  but  to  burst  for  ever. 


CHAPTEK  XXXIII. 
HIS  COURSE  IN  THE  WAR. 

ENDORSEMENT  OF  SECESSION. — LETTERS. — PREVALENCE  OF  ORDER  IN  THE 
STATE.— OBJECT  OF  ATTACK  ON  FORT  SUMTER.— ARTICLE  ON  THE  STATE 
OF  THE  COUNTRY. — ANALYSIS  OF  IT. — COMPROMISE  IMPOSSIBLE. — DE 
SIRE  FOB  A  PEACEFUL  SEPARATION. — IMPAIRED  HEALTH. — SUMMER 
EXCURSION. — LETTERS. — His  VIEW  AS  TO  A  CONVENTION  OF  THE  PRESBY 
TERIES. — NECESSITY  OF  ECCLESIASTICAL  SEPARATION  FROM  THE  NORTH. — 
EPISTOLARY  JEU  D'ESPRIT. — RESUMES  His  PROFESSORSHIP. — RESIGN A- 
TION  OF  PASTORAL  CHARGE. — ANXIETY  ABOUT  THE  COUNTRY. — ITS  IN 
FLUENCE  UPON  His  HEALTH. 

WE  drift  now  into  the  natural  channel  of  Dr.  Thorn- 
well's  life,  taking  up  events  in  the  order  in  which 
they  occur.  The  following  letter,  addressed  to  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Douglas,  with  its  playful  introduction,  is  chiefly  in 
teresting  as  containing  his  first  endorsement  of  the  seces 
sion  movement.  It  was  written,  it  will  be  perceived,  just 
eleven  days  after  South  Carolina  had  set  the  ball  in  mo 
tion,  by  her  famous  Ordinance: 

"  THEOLOGICAL  SKMINARY,  December  31,  1860. 

"  DEARLY  BELOVED  BROTHER  JOHN  :  I  am  astonished  that  a  man  so  cele 
brated  for  '  the  milk  of  human  kindness '  should  be  found  making  him 
self  merry  over  the  sorrows  and  misfortunes  of  his  brethren.  Friend 
Sanderson  might  change  his  opinion  of  the  benevolence  of  your  nature, 
if  he  could  see  how  you  exult  over  my  crazy  back  and  my  tottering  un 
derstanding.  But  let  me  tell  you  that  it  is  all  a  libel  about  the  tight 
boots.  That  part  of  the  story  was  made  up,  and  I  have  never  been 
able  to  trace  it  to  its  author.  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  jn  reiatjon  ^o 
elders,  I  do  not  require  the  Session  actually  to  impose  hands,  but  I  pre 
fer  that  they  should  do  it.  The  minister,  acting  in  the  name,  and  as 
Moderator  of  the  Session,  is  enough.  But  the  members  of  the  Session 
ought  to  be  present,  and  ought  to  give  the  right  hand  of  fellowship. 

"I  have  concluded  my  reply  to  Dr.  Hodge.*     To  me  it  seems  per- 

*  An  article,  entitled  "Church  Boards  and  Presbyterianism,"  growing 
out  of  the  debate  in  the  Assembly  at  Rochester,  which  may  be  found 
in  the  fourth  volume  of  the  "  Collected  Writings." 

485 


486  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

fectly  conclusive.  I  think  I  have  cornered  him  on  every  point  that  he 
has  made ;  and  I  have  some  curiosity  to  see  how  he  will  get  out  of  the 
scrape.  *  *  *  * 

"  Our  affairs  of  State  look  threatening ;  but  I  believe  that  we  have  done 
right.  I  do  not  see  any  other  course  that  was  left  to  us.  I  am  heart 
and  hand  with  the  State  in  her  move.  But  it  is  a  time  for  the  people 
of  God  to  abound  in  prayer.  The  Lord  alone  can  guide  us  to  a  haven 
of  safety.  He  can  bring  light  out  of  darkness,  and  good  out  of  evil.. 
*  *  *  * 

As  ever, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

The  fragment  which  follows  appears  never  to  have 
been  finished,  and  does  not  bear  upon  its  face  for  whom 
it  was  intended.  We  are  satisfied,  however,  from  internal 
evidence,  that  it  was  addressed  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  J.  Leigh- 
ton  Wilson,  before  his  connexion  as  Secretary  was  sev 
ered  with  the  Assembly's  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  in 
ISTew  York.  Its  value  is  to  be  found  in  the  testimony 
given  upon  the  prevalence  of  order  throughout  the  State, 
even  in  its  troubled  condition,  and  upon  the  motives 
which  led  to  the  attack  upon  Fort  Sumter: 

"THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  January  7,  1861. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER  :  Your  two  letters  Jhave  both  been  received ;  and 
I  was  delighted  to  find  what,  of  course,  I  wa's  prepared  to  expect,  that 
your  heart  and  your  sympathies  are  fully  with  the  people  of  your  native 
State.  Every  day  convinces  me  more  and  more  that  we  acted  at  the 
right  time  and  in  the  right  way.  Georgia  will  be  out  of  the  Union  to 
morrow,  or  the  next  day.  Louisiana,  Arkansas,  and  Texas  will  speedily 
follow ;  and  we  shall  soon  have  a  consolidated  South.  The  rumours  about 
mob  law  in  this  State  are  totally  and  meanly  false.  The  internal  con 
dition  of  our  society  never  was  sounder  and  healthier.  The  law  never 
was  so  perfectly  supreme.  Every  right  and  interest  of  the  citizen  is 
completely  protected;  and  our  people  are  bound  together  in  ties  of 
mutual  confidence,  so  strong  that  even  private  feuds  are  forgotten  and 
buried.  The  whole  State  is  like  a  family,  in  which  the  members  vie  with 
each  other  in  their  zeal  to  promote  the  common  good.  There  is  even 
little  appearance  of  excitement.  All  is  calm  and  steady  determination. 
It  is  really  a  blessing  to  live  here  now,  to  see  how  thoroughly  law  and 
order  reign  in  the  midst  of  an  intense  and  radical  revolution.  You  need 
not  fear  that  our  people  will  do  anything  rash.  They  will  simply  stand 
on  the  defensive.  They  will  permit  no  reinforcements  to  be  sent  to 
Charleston ;  and  if  Fort  Suniter  is  not  soon  delivered  up  to  them,  they 
will  take  it.  In  a  few  daye  we  shall  be  able  to  storm  it  successfully.  We 


HIS  COURSE  IN  THE  WAR.  487 

shall  take  the  Fort,  not  as  an  act  of  war,  but  in  righteous  self-defence, 
We  do  not  want  war.  We  prefer  peace.  But  we  shall  not  decline  the 
appeal  to  arms,  if  the  North  forces  it  upon  us. 

"I  have  just  concluded  a  defence  of  the  secession  of  the  Southern 
States,  which  will  soon  be  out  in  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Review.  It 
is  the  last  article,  and  is  already  advanced  in  printing.  I  shall  have  a 
large  edition  in  pamphlet  form  struck  off.  To  me  it  appears  to  be  con 
clusive  ;  you  can  judge  for  yourself,  when  you  see  it.  Dr.  Hodge's  article 
has  been  received  with  universal  indignation.  *  *  * 

"The  contributions  to  Foreign  Missions  among  us  will  certainly  fall 
off.  We  shall  not  be  in  a  condition  to  contribute  as  we  have  done." 

Here  the  fragment  abrubtly  terminates.  Allusion  is 
made  in  this  letter  to  what  Dr.  Thornwell  styles  "  a  de 
fence  of  the  secession  of  the  Southern  States."  It  was 
an  article  published  January,  1861,  in  the  Southern  Pres 
byterian  Jteview,  under  the  heading  "  The  State  of  the 
Country,"  and  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix  to  this  vol 
ume,  marked  No.  II.  As  to  the  ability  with  which  the 
subject  is  handled,  it  is  sufficient  to  quote  the  testimony 
of  one  of  the  Chancellors*  upon  the  South  Carolina  bench, 
distinguished  amongst  his  compeers  for  the  subtlety  of 
his  mind  and  the  sharpness  of  his  discrimination,  who 
said  to  the  writer  of  these  pages :  "I  took  up  the  article 
of  Dr.  Thornwell  with  great  trepidation,  fearing  that  a 
divine  would. make  a  muddle  of  the  question;  but  I  found 
it  a  model  State  paper."  In  this  essay,  the  author  first 
repels  the  charge  that  secession  originated  in  "  vain 
dreams  of  glory  in  a  separate  confederacy,  or  in  a  desire 
to  re-open  the  African  slave-trade;  but  in  the  profound 
conviction  that  the  Constitution,  in  its  relations  to  slavery, 
had  been  virtually  repealed."  He  undertakes  to  prove 
that  "the  constitutional  attitude  of  the  government  is 

One    Of  ABSOLUTE    INDIFFERENCE    OR    NEUTRALITY,  with    1'C- 

spect  to  all  questions  connected  with  the  moral  and 
political  aspect  of  the  subject."  He  overthrows  the  only 
two  propositions  upon  which  Federal  jurisdiction  over 
the  case  can  be  justified ;  to  wit,  that  "  the  right  of  pro 
perty  in  slaves  is  the  creature  of  positive  statute;"  and 

*  Chancellor  Job  Johnston,  of  Newberry,  South  Carolina. 


488  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

that  it  is  "a  right  not  recognized  by  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States."  Both  assumptions  are  shown  to  be 
false  in  fact,  and  the  deductions  drawn  from  them  ut 
terly  untenable.  He  then  proceeds  to  prove  that,  under 
the  change  of  public  sentiment,  the  Government  is  made 
to  assume  an  attitude  of  hostility  to  the  South;  that  "it 
is  made  to  take  the  type  of  Northern  sentiment;  it  is 
animated,  in  its  relations  to  slavery,  by  the  Northern 
mind;  and  the  South,  henceforward,  is  no  longer  of  the 
Government,  but  only  under  the  Government;"  "the 
North  becomes  the  United  States,  and  the  South  a  sub 
ject  province."  This,  he  contends,  "makes  a  new  gov 
ernment;  it  proposes  new  and  extraordinary  terms  of 
union."  "The  old  Government  is  as  completely  abol 
ished,  as  if  the  people  of  the  United  States  had  met  in 
convention,  and  repealed  the  Constitution."  "Mr.  Lin 
coln  has  been  chosen,  not  to  administer,  but  to  revolu 
tionize  the  Government."  "  The  oath  which  makes  him 
President,  makes  a  new  Union."  "The  import  of  seces 
sion  is  simply  the  refusal,  on  the  part  of  the  South,  to  be 
parties  to  any  such  Union."  "No  people  on  earth,  with 
out  judicial  infatuation,  can  organize  a  government  to 
destroy  themselves.  It  is  too  much  to  ask  a  man  to  sign 
his  own  death  warrant." 

We  give  this  analysis  of  a  portion  of  this  elaborate 
essay;  and,  as  the  reader  will  perceive  from  the  marks- 
of  quotation,  in  the  very  language  of  the  instrument,  in 
order  that  Dr.  Thornwell  may  define  his  own  position, 
and  be  judged  by  others  upon  his  own  statements.  It 
was  the  ground  upon  which  the  entire  South  stood,  con 
tending  for  the  principle  which  gave  vitality  to  the  whole 
American  Constitution ;  and  her  consolation  is,  in  all  her 
present  suffering,  that  it  has  been  incurred  in  an  honest 
effort  to  preserve  this  in  its  integrity ;  and  that,  if  she  be 
slain,  it  is  by  the  hand  of  another,  and  not  her  own. 
An  unerring  Judge  will  fix  the  responsibility  of  this  con 
flict  just  where  it  belongs. 


HIS  COURSE  IN  THE  WAK.  489 

It  has  been  exceedingly  interesting  to  us,  in  preparing 
this  biography,  to  find,  among  the  loose  papers  of  this 
period,  little  scraps,  often  the  backs  of  old  letters,  written 
all  over  with  fragmentary  thoughts ;  seized,  apparently, 
just  as  they  arose  in  his  mind,  and  thrown  in  this  loose 
way  upon  paper,  doubtless  with  a  view  to  their  being 
worked  over  at  leisure.  Perhaps  they  were  all  given, 
at  different  times,  to  the  public,  in  the  fugitive  articles 
he  was  in  the  habit  of  contributing  to  the  newspaper 
press.  But  in  the  fragmentary  form  in  which  they  are 
preserved  to  us,  they  are  precious  as  relics  of  the  man, 
and  as  memorials  how  constantly  the  subject  was  in  his 
thoughts.  We  transcribe  one  of  these,  evidently  belong 
ing  to  the  early  stage  of  the  struggle,  and  before  the 
gage  of  battle  was  actually  thrown  down.  It  is  of  con 
sequence  as  rebutting  the  charge  that  he  was  seditious- 
and  bitter  in  his  feelings,  and  as  showing  how  earnestly 
the  South  deprecated  the  appeal  to  arms.  It  reads  thus : 

"How  the  duty  of  the  Christian,  to  study  the  things  that  make  for 
peace  can  be  best  discharged,  in  the  present  condition  of  the  country,  is 
a  practical  inquiry  of  the  utmost  moment.  It  is  possible  to  embitter 
strife  by  the  very  efforts  to  extinguish  it.  The  measures  proposed  must 
be  judicious ;  and  to  be  judicious,  they  must  be  adapted  to  the  diffi 
culties  which  they  are  designed  to  heal.  It  is  not  enough  that  they 
spring  from  a  good  motive.  The  motive  does  not  determine  the  result. 
They  must  be  adjusted  to  the  nature  of  the  case. 

"  Tried  by  this  standard,  that  whole  class  of  expedients,  which  aim  to 
promote  peace  by  a  compromise  of  the  dfficulties  betwixt  the  North  and 
the  South,  and  the  perpetuation  of  the  present  Union,  must  be  condemned 
as  fostering  only  strife.  The  nature  of  the  differences  is  such  that  there 
can  be  no  compromise.  There  must  be  complete  surrender,  on  one 
side  or  the  other.  It  is  a  case  of  excluded  middle.  The  North  have 
said  distinctly,  that  freedom  is  national,  slavery  sectional.  In  other 
words,  they,  and  they  alone,  represent  the  real  spirit  and  tendencies  of 
the  country ;  and  the  government  must  be  entrusted  exclusively  to  their 
hands.  They  must  determine  the  social  type  of  the  territories ;  they 
must  determine  the  complexion  of  all  our  laws ;  the  whole  life  of  the 
country  is  in  them.  The  South  is  an  appendage  to  the  body,  but  no 
organic  part  of  it.  In  such  a  controversy,  there  is  no  room  for  com 
promise.  The  positions  are  contradictory,  and  one  or  the  other  must 
be  abandoned.  But  suppose  the  North  yields,  will  that  promote  peace  ? 


4:90  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

It  depends  upon  what  is  meant  by  yielding.  If  to  yield  is  only  to  sus 
pend  hostilities,  while  the  sentiment  of  the  people  remain  unchanged,  it 
is  evident  that  the  causes  of  strife  remain  in  all  their  power.  The  only 
measure  which  can  promote  peace  is,  that  the  parties  should  separate. 
The  combatants  must  be  parted. 

"As  it  is  clear  that  they  must  part,  the  next  thing  is  to  make  the 
separation  a  peaceable  one.  "To  this  point  our  Christian  efforts  should 
now  be  unceasingly  directed.  We  should  endeavour  to  prevent  violence, 
and  the  acrimony  and  bitterness  which  must  spring  from  an  appeal  to 
arms.  If  force  is  resorted  to,  it  must  fail.  The  Union  can  hold  no 
States  by  conquest.  A  forced  Union  is  an  anomaly.  Free  consent,  and 
that  alone,  should  hold  us  together.  If  it  fails  to  conquer  the  seceding 
States,  much  blood  will  have  been  shed  in  vain.  It  is  idle,  therefore,  to 
resort  to  it.  If  the  Union  can  be  dissolved  by  the  same  free  consent 
which  created  it,  the  most  friendly  relations  might  be  instituted  between 
the  two  sections ;  and  the  prosperity  of  both  be  almost  as  much  pro 
moted  as  by  a  Federal  Union.  Let  Christian  men,  North  and  South, 
labour  to  have  us  part  in  peace." 

Dr.  Thornwell's  health  was  not  by  any  means  restored. 
The  temporary  improvement  resulting  from  his  European 
trip  the  preceding  summer,  disappeared1  under  the  re 
sumption  of  his  labours,  and  the  pressure  of  solicitude  for 
the  country.  About  the  middle  of  January,  while  his 
pen  was  busy  with  the  essays  above  presented,  he  was 
prostrated  upon  a  bed  of  sickness,  from  which  he  did  not 
recover  until  the  spring.  A  relapse  followed  upon  this, 
and  the  entire  summer  was  devoted  to  a  vain  chase  after 
health.  Indeed,  the  short  remainder  of  his  life  was  spent 
in  a  useless  conflict  with  the  disease,  beneath  which  he 
was  destined  to  succumb. 

In  the  month  of  June  he  resorted,  with  his  third 
daughter,  as  companion  and  nurse,  to  Glenn  Springs,  in 
South  Carolina,  somewhat  noted  for  the  value  of  its 
waters  in  certain  types  of  disease.  From  this  place  he 
writes : 

"  GLENN  SPKINGS,  June  17,  1861. 

"My  DEAREST  WIPE  :  As  I  know  that  you  will  be  anxious  to  hear  how 
we  are  getting  along,  I  write  to  you  again  this  morning.  Yesterday  was 
a  very  warm  day,  but  we  had  a  good  western  breeze.  I  walked  in  the 
morning  to  the  spring,  and  back.  We  have  a  fine  shade  the  whole  way. 
There  was  preaching  at  a  little  Episcopal  Church,  built  by  McCullough, 


HIS  COURSE  IN  THE  WAR.  491 

but  none  of  ns  went.  The  Church  is  a  very  neat  little  building,  just  over 
the  branch  from  the  spring.  The  rector  is  a  Mr.  Jones ;  I  know  noth 
ing  of  him.  Late  in  the  afternoon  yesterday,  I  took  another  stroll,  and 
found  it  delightful.  The  shades  are  so  fine  about  here,  that  one  is  per 
fectly  protected  from  the  rays  of  the  sun.  I  was  very  cautious  in  the 
use  of  the  water.  Last  night  I  slept  well.  This  morning  I  rose  a  little 
after  seven  o'clock,  ate  breakfast  at  eight,  took  a  long  walk,  have  drunk 
two  glassfuls  of  water,  and  feel  very  comfortable.  The  air  to-day  is  fine  ; 
it  is  cool  in  the  temperature,  and  made  more  so  by  a  constant  breeze. 
My  strength  seems  to  increase,  and  I  am  encouraged  to  believe  that  the 
place  will  agree  with  me.  *  *  *  * 

"You  cannot  imagine  how  I  enjoy  these  up-country  forests.  They 
are  more  interesting  than  they  ever  were  before.  I  can  gaze  on  the 
fine  trees  from  morning  till  night ;  and  at  night,  now  that  the  moon  is 
shining,  it  is  most  delightful  to  look  out  upon  the  starry  heavens  above, 
and  the  thick  groves  below.  I  find  myself  almost  entranced  by  the  in 
fluence  of  scenes  around  me  and  above  me.  You  would  enjoy  the  place 
very  much. 

"  I  am  trying  to  get  water  sent  to  you,  but  it  is  impossible  to  procure  a 
vessel  of  any  kind,  even  a  bottle.  Strange  to  say,  I  am  fond  of  it.  Pat 
drinks  it  freely,  and  says  it  has  given  her  an  enormous  appetite.  She 
watches  me  closely,  and  will  not  let  me  eat  what  she  thinks  will  not 
agree  with  me.  The  other  evening  I  was  about  to  take  a  piece  of  lamb- 
cutlet  ;  but  Pat  sung  out  at  the  table,  that  she  thought  I  ought  not  to 
eat  meat  at  night ;  so  I  obeyed  her,  and  let  it  alone.  I  have  now  emp 
tied  my  budget  of  gossip.  Love  to  all.  May  the  Lord  keep  us  all  in 
health  and  safety.  God  bless  you,  dearest.  « 
"Yours,  most  devotedly, 

J.  H.  T. 

Two  days  later  he  addresses  the  following  to  his  eldest 
son,  which  could  scarcely  have  been  more  faithful  in  its 
appeal,  had  he  known  how  soon  they  would  both  be  to 
gether  in  eternity : 

"  GLENN  SPRINGS,  June  19,  18G1. 

"  MY  DEAR  GILLESPIE  :  It  has  been  on  my  heart  for  some  time  back 
to  have  a  serious  and  solemn  conversation  with  you,  touching  the  great 
interests  of  the  soul.  During  all  my  sickness,  nothing  has  pressed  upon 
my  mind  more  than  the  condition  and  prospects  of  my  boys,  in  relation 
to  the  salvation  of  the  gospel.  I  have  dedicated  you  and  your  brothers 
to  God.  I  have  prayed  that  He  would  call  you  all  into  His  kingdom ; 
and  I  once  ventured  to  hope  that  I  might  see  you  all  ministers  of  the 
gospel.  There  is  nothing  worth  living  for  but  the  glory  of  God  ;  and  I 
do  most  devoutly  wish  that  your  eyes  may  be  opened  to  see  the  trans 
cendent  importance  of  eternal  things.  You  have  but  one  soul ;  and  if 
you  lose  that,  all  is  gone ;  and  once  lost,  it  is  lost  for  ever. 

"  You  may  say  that  you  acknowledge  the  truth  of  all  this,  but  you  do 


4:92  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

not  feel  it.  My  son,  you  must  strive  to  feel  it.  You  must  think  uporu 
the  matter  seriously  and  earnestly ;  you  must  pray  over  it ;  you  must 
confess  and  deplore  your  hardness  of  heart,  and  seek  from  the  Lord  a 
clean  heart  and  a  right  spirit.  Resolve  never  to  give  over,  until  you 
find  that  you  are  interested,  and  warmly  interested,  in  the  great  salva 
tion.  You  cannot  imagine  what  a  comfort  it  would  be  to  me  in  my  de 
clining  days  to  see  you  humbly  and  sincerely  following  the  Lord  Jesus- 
Christ.  And  why  not  do  it  ?  Can  you  gain  anything  by  carelessness 
and  rernissness  ?  Are  you  happier  when  you  do  not  know  but  that,  at 
any  moment,  you  may  be  summoned  before  God  altogether  unprepared? 
Is  not  the  fear  of  the  Lord  the  beginning  of  wisdom  ?  and  do  they  not 
exhibit  the  soundest  understanding  who  keep  God's  commandments? 
My  sou,  you  know  not  how  much  I  love  you,  and  cannot  know  how 
much  I  feel  for  your  immortal  interests.  Do  me,  your  father,  the  favour 
to  give  your  mind  to  the  matter  at  once,  and  decidedly.  Seek  to  be  a 
thorough-going,  devoted  Christian.  Seek  the  Lord  with  your  whole 
heart.  Kenounce  all  sin,  and  renounce  it  for  ever ;  and  betake  yourself 
to  the  blood  of  Christ  for  pardon  and  acceptance.  Do  more ;  have  an 
eye  to  the  eternal  good  of  your  younger  brothers.  They  look  up  to  you ; 
they  respect  you  ;  they  try  to  do  as  you  do.  Set  them  a  good  example.. 
Go  before  them  in  the  way  of  eternal  life. 

"Religion  cannot  be  maintained  without  regular  prayer,  and  regular 
reading  of  the  Scriptures,  and  regular  attendance  upon  the  ordinances. 
Never  omit  your  morning  and  evening  devotions,  and  try  to  be  inter 
ested  in  them ;  think  over  what  you  pray  for ;  think  before  you  pray. 
When  you  read  the  Bible,  read  in  order  to  get  knowledge.  Meditate 
on  what  you  read ;  and  beg  God  to  seal  it  on  your  heart  by  the  Holy 
Ghost.  At  church,  try  to  be  profited.  Apply  to  yourself  what  you 
hear.  Look  upon  preaching  as  God's  appointment,  and  expect  His 
blessing  in  attending  upon  it.  My  dear  boy,  reflect  upon  what  I  have 
said  to  you ;  and  gladden  my  heart,  when  I  see  you  again,  by  your  in 
terest  in  all  that  concerns  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  salvation  of  the 
soul.  Pray  over  this  letter ;  look  upon  it  as  your  father's  legacy  ;  and 
for  his  sake,  as  well  as  your  own,  awake  to  the  importance  of  these  high 
themes. 

"As  to  my  health,  I  cannot  say  that  there  is  any  marked  change  yet. 
I  think,  upon  the  whole,  I  am  improving.  The  atmosphere  here  at 
present  is  very  cool  and  delightful.  Our  nights  are  charming ;  and  I 
enjoy  the  magnificent  forests  about  here  very  much.  I  can  never  gaze 
on  these  enough.  And  now,  my  boy,  may  God  bless  you.  Be  true  to 
Him,  and  He  will  be  faithful  to  -you 

"  Your  affectionate  father, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL,." 

The  next  letter  shows  a  change  of  place,  and  is  written 
to  his  colleague  in  the  pastoral  charge  of  the  Columbia 
church,  the  Eev.  F.  P.  MullaUy: 


HIS  COURSE  IN  THE  WAR.  4:93- 

f 

•t 

"  SPARTANBURG,  July  10,  1861. 

"My  DEAR  MULLALLT:  It  has  been  on  my  mind  to  write  to  you  for 
some  time  ;  but  as  I  had  nothing  definite  to  say  to  my  lord,  I  concluded 
to  put  it  off  until  I  could  get  a  few  more  ideas.  I  find,  however,  that 
if  I  wait  until  I  get  something  worth  saying,  I  shall  wait  for  ever.  You 
must,  therefore,  take  things  as  they  come ;  and  if  my  letter  has  no  sense, 
be  satisfied  to  reflect  that  it  is  full  of  love,  and  of  the  sincerest  wishes  foi 
your  well-being  and  well-doing.  It  makes  me  sad  at  times  to  think  of  the 
burden  that  has  fallen  on  your  shoulders  through  my  infirmities ;  but  I 
trust  that  the  Lord  will  abundantly  reward  you  for  your  generous  and 
disinterested  labours.  It  would  delight  my  heart  to  be  able  to  join  you 
in  your  ministry.  The  people  in  Columbia  are  very  dear  to  me ;  and 
their  spiritual  interests  are  the  burden  of  many  a  prayer.  I  cannot  tell 
you  how  much  I  am  attached  to  the  congregation ;  and  if  I  could  serve 
them  as  in  former  days,  it  would  be  the  joy  and  rejoicing  of  my  heart. 

"I  was  glad  to  hear  that  you  had  a  little  holiday,  and  killed  two 
birds  with  one  stone  by  running  up  to  Pendleton.  I  can  well  imagine 
what  sort  of  a  time  you  had  there.  How  I  should  have  rejoiced  to  be 
with  you. 

"You  must  not  overwork  yourself  during  the  summer.  A  righteous 
man  is  merciful  to  his  beast ;  and  you  must  spare  yours,  or  you  may 
bring  yourself  to  the  pass  that  I  am  at.  As  to  my  condition,  I  have  to 
speak  with  caution.  Last  week  I  considered  myself  nearly  well.  My 
uncomfortable  symptoms  had  largely  disappeared.  I  was  as  strong  as 
usual ;  could  ride  eight  miles  on  horse-back  without  fatigue  ;  rode  every 
day  sixteen  miles  in  a  carriage  ;  attended  two  night-parties  ;  had  a  fine 
appetite,  and  was  becoming  quite  cheerful.  There  came  on  a  spell  of 
rainy  weather.  I  took  cold,  which  settled  on  my  bowels;  and  for 
thirty-six  hours  I  suffered  as  much  as  I  had  ever  suffered  in  that  time 
before.  I  became  depressed.  The  thing  was  so  sudden  and  so  unex 
pected  ;  and  I  could  attribute  it  to  no  imprudence  of  mine.  But  I  am 
on  the  mend  again.  To-day  I  am  nearly  myself  again,  only  a  little 
weaker  than  before.  My  lung  has  greatly  improved  ;  the  upper  part  is 
performing  finely ;  the  lower  is  still  dull,  though  much  better  than  when 
I  left  home.  The  Cherokee  water  has  been  of  great  service  to  my  sto 
mach  and  kidneys.  The  Glenn  Spring  water  I  could  not  stand  at  all. 
I  am  satisfied  that  it  did  me  serious  injury. 

"I  wish  you  would  have  a  pro  re  nata  meeting  of  our  Presbytery 
called,  to  appoint  delegates  to  attend  a  convention  at  Greensboroughr 
on  the  lath  of  August.  You  may  put  my  name  to  the  circular  request 
ing  the  Moderator  to  call  the  meeting.  It  is  very  important  to  take 
initiative  steps,  while  the  Presbyteries  are  all  harmonious,  and  before 
different  schemes  have  got  in  agitation.  If  the  Presbytery  should  appoint 
me  as  a  delegate,  I  shall  endeavour  to  attend.  I  can  work  in  private, 
though  I  cannot  make  public  speeches.  Do  have  the  matter  attended 
to  ;  let  no  time  be  lost. 

"  On  the  16th  instant,  I  leave  Spartanburg  for  Wilson's  Springs.     I 


494:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOENWELL. 

* 

shall  remain  there  about  ten  days,  if  the  waters  suit  me ;  then  go  tc 
the  mountains,  holding  myself  in  readiness  to  attend  the  convention, 
when  I  see  that  it  has  been  called.  The  climate  here  is  very  grateful. 
I  am  delightfully  situated,  and  enjoy  every  comfort  and  luxury.  All 
right  outside;  but  inwardly,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  that  I  cannot  make  so 

fair  a  report.     Give  my  love  to  -    -  and ,  and  all  the  long-faced 

tribe.     I  love  them  rul.     My  wife  is  the  only  Presbyterian  I  have  seen 
for  so  long  a  time,  that  I  have  almost  forgotten  how  that  sour  race  looks. 
But  I  hope  soon  to  see  you  all  again ;  and  to  see  you  in  the  full  enjoy 
ment  of  the  comforts  and  consolations  of  the  gospel. 
"As  ever, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

At  this  point  comes  in  properly  the  draft  of  a  letter, 
without  date,  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Abner  A.  Porter,  then 
editor  of  the  Southern  Presbyterian,  at  Columbia.  It 
indicates  the  policy  he  thought  the  Southern  churches 
and  Presbyteries  should  pursue,  after  the  passage  of  the 
"  Spring  Resolutions,"  in  the  Assembly  of  1861,  at  Phila 
delphia.  In  the  main,  these  measures  were 'carried  out 
in  reintegrating  into  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Pres 
byterian  Church  in  the  Confederate  States,  which  was 
afterwards  done  at  Augusta,  Georgia: 

"  DEAR  POUTER  :  I  am  glad  to  see  that  a  call  has  been  made  for  a  Con 
vention  of  the  churches  in  the  Confederate  States,  to  determine  their 
future  relations.  The  Presbyterie^  should  lose  no  time  in  calling  pro 
re  nata  meetings,  and  electing  their  delegates.  The  number  of  dele 
gates  which  each  Presbytery  should  send  otight  to  be  the  same  as  the 
number  of  commissioners  to  which  it  is  entitled  in  the  General  Assem 
bly.  The  Convention  should,  first  of  all,  settle  the  question  of  separa 
tion  from  the  churches  in  the  United  States.  And,  in  the  next  place,  if 
it  determines  to  separate,  it  should  prepare  a  constitution,  to  be  sub 
mitted  to  the  autumn  Presbyteries ;  and,  until  the  constitution  is  finally 
adopted,  make  arrangements  for  a  Provisional  Government.  I  would 
have  preferred  that  the  Convention  had  been  called  to  meet  in  Greens- 
borough,  North  Carolina.  Kichmond,  in  July,  will  be  very  crowded, 
and  it  will  be  hard  for  the  members  to  find  accommodations.  I  think 
even  yet  the  call  should  be  changed  from  Eichmond  to  Greensborough, 
or  Ealeigh.  I  prefer  Greensborough,  because  it  is  situated  in  a  most 
beautiful,  healthful,  and  delightful  region  of  country.  Then,  again,  it 
is  more  conveniently  accessible  than  Eichmond.  It  is  nearer  to  the 
Southwestern  brethren;  and  a  few  days  spent  in  breathing  its  atmos 
phere  and  drinking  its  water,  will  prepare  the  delegates  from  the 


HIS  COURSE  IN  THE  WAR.  495 

swampy  region  of  the  Gulf  for  hard  service,  when  they  return  to  their 
gnats  and  inusquitoes. 

"  There  should  be  no  time  lost  in  the  permanent  organization  of  the 
Confederate  Church.  She  should  be  getting  ready  for  embarking  fully 
in  the  work  of  her  Master.  She  should  have,  as  speedily  as  possible, 
her  Committees  of  Missons,  Foreign  and  Domestic,  of  Education,  and, 
if  need  be,  of  Publication  and  Church  Extension.  A  great  work  is  be 
fore  her.  Let  her  gird  up  her  loins,  and  set  resolutely  about  it.  I  hope, 
therefore,  that  every  Presbytery  in  the  Confederate  States  will  send 
delegates  to  a  convention,  to  be  held  at  Greensborough,  IT.  C.,  entrusted 
with  full  power  to  determine  the  future  posture  of  the  Church,  subject 
to  the  review  of  the  Presbyteries  in  the  autumn." 

He  writes,  a  little  later,  to  one  of  his  younger  sons, 
revealing  his  parental  anxiety  for  their  usefulness  in  this 
world,  and  their  salvation  in  the  next.  « 

"  SPARTANBURG,  July  23,  18G1. 

"MY  DEAR  BOY:  Your  affectionate  letter  was  duly  received,  and  I 
am  glad  to  see  that  you  are  so  mindful  of  your  father  in  his  absence. 
Your  father  thinks  and  prays  a  great  deal  about  you.  He  wants  to  see 
you  a  useful  man  in  the  world,  if  the  Lord  should  spare  your  life.  He 
would  delight,  above  all  things,  to  see  you  a  faithful  and  able  preacher  of 
the  gospel.  Your  first  concern,  my  dear  child,  should  be  to  be  a  Chris 
tian  ;  and  then  your  next,  to  enquire  how  you  can  most  glorify  God, 
You  can  never  be  useful  without  study  and  prayer.  Master  your  books. 
Give  your  mind  to  your  lessons,  and  always  determine  that  you  will  get 
them  ;  that  you  will  not  be  outdone.  Now  is  the  time  to  lay  the  founda 
tion,  and  you  must  not  fool  it  away  with  indolence.  I  hope  you  will 
know  your  Latin  grammar  well,  and  be  able  to  read  when  I  see  you.  I 
want  you  to  be  a  good  scholar,  and  I  do  hope  that  you  win  begin  to  love 
.your  books.  But  enough  on  this  point. 

"We  are  still  in  Spartanburg.  The  weather  has  been  too  bad  for 
us  to  leave.  -There  have  been  rains  every  day.  We  shall  leave  the  first 
good  day,  perhaps  to-morrow.  We  shall  spend  a  while  in  Shelby,  and 
then  meet  you  all  in  Lincoln,  at  Mr.  Anderson's.  Charles  must  keep 
my  horses  in  splendid  order,  and  things  in  fine  trim  on  the  lot  when  you 
leave.  He  must  try  himself  to  see  how  well  he  can  manage.  My  health 
is  something  better.  I  would  improve  faster  if  the  weather  would  allow 
me  to  get  out,  bnt  the  rains  confine  me  to  the  house.  Dr.  Shipp's 
family  is  excessively  kind.  I  do  not  know  how  I  can  ever  repay  them. 
His  children  are  all  fond  of  their  books.  He  has  no  trouble  in  getting 
them  to  study.  I  have  no  news.  I  hope  Gillespie  was  preserved  in  the 
battle  on  Sunday.*  We  must  all  pray  for  him,  and  for  our  country.  The 
Lord  alone  can  keep  us  in  safety. 

Very  affectionately,  your  father,  J.  H.  THORNWELL." 

*  The  first  battle  of  Manassas. 


496  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

The  seriousness  of  these  letters  will  be  relieved  by  the 
following  playful  effusion,  so  characteristic  of  him  in  his 
bantering  moods.  It  was  in  reply  to  a  very  serious 
appeal  against  his  favourite  habit. 

•. 

"THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  September  24,  18G1. 

"  DEARLY  BELOVED  SISTER  ADGER  :  My  sympathies  have  been  greatly 
moved  by  the  piteous  accounts  I  have  received  of  your  keen  and  mani 
fold  sufferings,  in  that  most  important  of  all  organs  to  a  woman,  '  the 
human  face  divine.'  I  know  how  to  feel  for  the  sufferer,  especially  for 
such  a  sufferer  as  the  wife  of  a  friend  who  has  no  rival  in  my  heart.  My 
own  experience  has  led  me  to  recognize  the  fact,  that  one  effect  of  our 
afflictions  is  to  disarm  us  of  capricious  and  idle  prejudices,  and  to  re 
concile  us  to  what  we  once  abhorred.  In  my  own  case,  this  principle 
has  been  most  signally  illustrated.  At  one  time  in  my  life,  sheep,  black 
berries,  and  tea  were  my  utter  abominations ;  and  I  marvelled  how  any 
human  being  could  reconcile  himself  to  the  use  of  such  monstrous  arti 
cles  of  diet.  But  I  was  brought  low.  I  had  either  to  starve,  or  to  feed 
on  sheep  with  the  voracity  of  an  ancient  patriarch  or  Jew ;  and  I  finally 
came  to  believe  that  even  a  Christian  man  might  make  dainties  of  the 
fruit  of  briers,  the  offspring  of  the  fold,  and  the  leaf  from  China.  My 
prejudices  are  all  gone ;  and  I  sit  down  to  these  abominations  with  as 
much  composure  as  I  would  encounter  ham,  plum  pudding,  or  roast  beef. 
After  giving  up  my  prejudices,  I  began  to  mend. 

"  Now,  it  has  occurred  to  me,  that  there  is  a  proud  place  in  your  heart, 
which  requires  to  be  humbled.  You  have  some  unaccountable  preju 
dices,  from  which  it  behooves  you  to  be  delivered ;  and  my  interest  in 
jour  carnal  comfort  prompts  me  to  deal  very  freely  with  you  on  this 
most  delicate  subject.  I  have  no  doubt  that  if  you  would  open  your 
mind  to  liberal  views  of  that  most  delectable  of  all  weeds,  the  tobacco 
plant,  your  sufferings  might  be  greatly  relieved,  and  greatly  modified. 
Just  reflect  upon  it  as  a  balm  which  nature  has  kindly  provided  for 
aching  teeth  or  agonized  jaws.  Let  me  advise  you,  as  you  prize  your 
comfort,  to  provide  yourself  with  a  clean  pipe  and  a  short  stem,  and  set 
to  work  upon  the  goodly  process  of  inhaling  the  exquisite  fragrance. 
There  is  no  sight  more  truly  venerable  than  that  of  a  mother  in  Israel, 
in  the  chimney  corner,  with  her  children  about  her.  refreshing  their 
senses  with  gales  of  incense  as  sweet  and  cheering  as  the  tones  which 
proceed  from  her  mouth.  It  is  the  very  picture  of  dignified  repose.  The 
very  idea  of  neuralgia  to  such  a  matron  would  be  a  contradiction  in 
terms.  Only  try  it.  I  never  have  tooth-ache,  jaw-ache,  or  any  other 
face  ache.  The  reason,  perhaps,  is  that  I  have  had  no  absurd  prejudices 
against  'kind  nature's  sweet  restorer,'  a  gemiine  article  of  tobacco.  How 
delightful  it  would  be,  if  you  could  overcome  your  antipathies,  to  visit 
sister  Adger,  of  a  moonlight  night,  at  her  hospitable  mansion,  and  join 
with  her  in  the  calm,  quiet,  dignified  composure  which  the  blended 


HIS  COURSE  IN  THE  WAR.  4:9 T 

f nines  of  the  pipe  and  cigar  would  so  freely  and  completely  signalize ! 
My  dear,  suffering  sister,  smoke,  smoke,  and  again  I  say,  smoke.  It  will 
do  you  good.  Once  begin,  and  you  will  need  no  arguments  to  persevere. 
The  odour  of  a  good  conversation  and  the  odour  of  tobacco  sweetly  har 
monize,  and  form  an  exquisite  incense.  But  enough.  We  all  want  to 
see  you  very  much.  I  think  your  Inisband  needs  looking  after  ;  and  the 
worse  feature  in  his  case  is,  that  he  does  not  want  you  to  come  home. 
Lizzie,  I  suspect,  is  doing  pretty  much  what  the  boy  shot  at.  The  truth 
is,  your  presence,  provided  your  face  is  smooth,  would  work  marvels. 
But  my  paper  is  out.  Be  sure  to  smoke,  and  let  us  hear  no  more  of  neu 
ralgia.  As  ever, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

Dr.  Thornwell  returned  in  the  fall  to  his  duties  in  the 
Seminary,  but  his  health  was  so  shattered  that  he  was  called 
to  sever  his  connection  with  the  church  in  Columbia,  the 
sole  pastorship  of  which  being  devolved  upon  his  young 
and  estimable  colleague,  the  Rev ,  Mr.  Mullally.  One  letter 
more  will  close  this  chapter.  It  is  addressed  to  General 
James  Gillespie,  near  Cheraw,  and  gives  a  connected  view 
of  his  sickness ;  enabling  us  to  see,  what  neither  he  nor 
his  friends  apprehended  fully  at  the  time,  that  his  disease 
had  fixed  itself  in  his  constitution,  and  must  soon  finish 
its  work: 

"THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  November  19,  1861. 

"  Mr  DEAR  GENERAL  :  I  received  your  message  from  Mr.  Pelham,  and 
lose  no  time  in  complying  with  your  request.  You  have  probably  been 
apprised  of  my  general  condition  during  the  past  ten  months.  On  the 
15th  of  January  I  took  my  bed,  from  which  I  hardly  arose  until  about 
the  1st  of  April.  My  system  was  utterly  broken  down  ;  and  broken  down, 
as  the  doctor  said,  in  consequence  of  excessive  work.  About  the  1st  of 
April  I  began  to  amend ;  and  had  the  folly  to  go  down  to  Charleston, 
where  I  took  an  affection  of  the  bowels,  that  kept  me  prostrate  during 
the  whole  summer.  I  had  no  energy  for  anything,  except  to  pray  for 
my  country  and  the  Church.  I  went  to  Wilson's  Springs  in  August,  and 
there  I  began  to  recover  strength  a  second  time.  I  spent  the  remainder 
of  the  summer  in  Lincoln  county,  North  Carolina,  at  the  residence  of 
my  son-in-law,  and,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  still  continued  to  improve. 
At  the  opening  of  the  Seminary,  about  the  middle  of  September,  I  re 
turned  home,  and  have  been  able  to  discharge  all  my  duties  as  a  Pro 
fessor.  But  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  give  up  the  church.  I  am  now  free 
from  the  cares  and  labours  of  a  pastor.  I  am  still  improving,  but  my 
right  lung  is  still  feeble,  and  my  bowels  in  a  great  measure  toneless. 
In  other  respects  I  am  myself  again.  During  the  summer  I  spent  a 


498  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

month  with  Mary  Jane  and  Dr.  Shipp,  and  a  pleasanter  month  I  have 
never  spent  anywhere.  They  are  both  noble  people.  Mary  Jane  is  a 
true  Gillespie,  and  Shipp  is  exactly  the  man  that  she  ought  to  have  mar 
ried.  Their  family  is  a  model  household.  I  love  every  one  of  them, 
from  the  youngest  to  the  oldest,  as  I  love  my  own  children.  I  was  really 
delighted  to  find  that  Mary  Jane  had  married  so  well. 

One  thing  that  has  helped  to  break  me  down,  is  the  profound  interest 
which  I  have  taken  in  public  affairs.  My  heart  has  been  distressed  for 
my  country.  While  abroad,  I  saw  that  secession  was  inevitable ;  and 
when  I  returned,  I  did  everything  in  my  power  to  promote  it.  I  gave 
np  the  Union  with  great  pain,  but  I  saw  no  alternative.  Black  Repub 
licanism  had  rendered  it  impossible  to  remain  in  it  with  honour.  I 
always  thought  that  war  would  be  the  consequence  ;  but  I  preferred  war 
to  ignominious  submission.  The  war  has  come,  but  I  am  not  dis 
heartened.  Under  God,  I  believe  that  the  final  result  is  certain.  The 
hopes  of  liberty  on  this  continent  are  centred  in  our  success.  We  may 
have  to  suffer  much,  and  to  suffer  long ;  but  liberty  is  worth  it  all.  You 
have  heard  of  the  disaster  at  Port  Royal.  I  suppose  it  could  not  be  pre 
vented.  But  the  enemy,  after  all,  has  gained  but  little.  Mr.  Barnwell's 
family  is  now  at  my  house,  all  except  himself.  They  fled  from  the  in 
vasion.  Columbia  is  full  of  refugees  from  Beaufort  and  from  Charleston. 
I  do  not  think,  however,  that  the  enemy  can  take  Charleston,  and  I  doubt 
whether  they  will  try  it.  As  ever, 

J.  H.  THOKNWELL." 

"P.  S.  Gillespie  has  been  in  this  war  from  the  very  commencement, 
and  is  a  true  patriot.  You  have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of  him ;  he  has 
genuine  pluck.  There  is  no  bacon  in  this  part  of  the  country ;  we  have 
to  live  on  sheep  and  cows.  How  fares  the  matter  with  you  ?  We  have 
been  supplementing  our  small  stock  of  coffee  with  rye,  but  we  shall  soon 
have  to  come  down  to  sassafras." 


CHAPTER   XXXIY. 

ORGANIZATION  OFTHE     SOUTHERN  ASSEMBLY. 

COMMISSIONERS  YlSIT  WASHINGTON  ClTT  IN  THE  INTEBEST  OF  PEACE. — 
DUPLICITY  TOWARDS  THESE. — ATTEMPTED  REINFORCEMENT  OF  FORT 
SUMPTER. — ITS  BOMBARDMENT. — THE  NORTH  INFLAMED. — WAR  EN 
SUES. — MEETING  OF  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  AT  PHILADELPHIA,  IN  18G1. — 
THE  "  SPRING  RESOLUTIONS." — THEIR  POLITICAL  CHARACTER. —ACTION 
OF  THE  SOUTHERN  PRESBYTERIES. — CONVENTION  OF  THESE  HELD. — 
ORGANIZATION  OF  SOUTHERN  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY.— CHARACTER  OF 
THE  BODY. — ITS  ADDRESS  TO  THE  CHURCHES  THROUGHOUT  THE  EARTH. — 
SCENE  AT  ITS  SUBSCRIPTION. — ALSO  AT  THE  ADOPTION  OF  A  CHARTER. — 
ITS  LEADING  FEATURE. — EQUIPMENT  OF  THE  CHURCH  FOR  HER  WORK. — 
OVERTURE  TO  CONGRESS  UPON  THE  RECOGNITION  OF  CHRISTIANITY, 
PRESENTED  AND  WITHDRAWN. — DEBATE  ON  SENDING  A  LETTER  TO  THE 
NORTHERN  ASSEMBLY. —DRAFT  OF  SUCH  A  LETTER  PREPARED,  BUT  NOT 
PRESENTED. — ACTION  OF  A  CONVENTION  IN  SOUTH  CAROLINA,  DURING 
THE  SESSIONS  OF  THIER  SYNODS. — ITS  CIVIL  CHARACTER. — EVIDENCE  OF 
CARE  BY  THE  SOUTHERN  CHURCH  TO  ABSTAIN  FROM  POLITICS. — PROOF 
OF  THIS  IN  THE  PUBLIC  PRAYERS  OF  THE  PERIOD. — EXAMPLE  OF  THIS 
IN  A  PRAYER  OF  DR.  THORNWELL,  IN  THE  SOUTH  CAROLINA  LEGISLA 
TURE. 

A  LLUSION  has  been  made  to  a  rupture  in  tlie  Church 
J\_  as  well  as  in  the  State,  some  account  of  which  falls  of 
necessity  within  the  scope  of  this  narrative.  Immediately 
after  his  inauguration  as  President  of  the  Confederate 
States,  and  in  pursuance  of  a  resolution  of  the  Confederate 
Congress,  Mr.  Davis  sent  three  commissioners  to  Washing 
ton,  for  the  purpose  of  negotiating  friendly  relations  be 
tween  the  two  governments.  As  soon  as  possible  after  the 
organization  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  cabinet,  these  commissioners 
addressed  a  communication  to  the  newly  appointed  Secre 
tary  of  State,  mentioning  the  object  of  their  diplomatic  mis 
sion,  and  assuring  him  that  the  President,  Congress,  and 
people  whom  they  represented,  earnestly  desired  a  peace 
ful  solution  of  these  great  questions.  An  informal  an- 

499 


500  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HEJSTLEY  THOKNWELL. 

swer  was  returned,  to  the  effect  that  Mr.  Seward's  "  strong 
disposition  was  in  favour  of  peace,  but  that  he  wished  to 
avoid  making  a  reply  to  the  commissioners  at  that  time" 
An  intimation  was  further  given  that  Fort  Sumter  would 
be  evacuated  within  ten  days.  At  as  late  a  date  as  the  7th 
of  April,  Mr.  Seward  made  reply  to  a  note  of  inquiry, 
"  Faith  as  to  Sumter  fully  kept ;  wait  and  see."  When 
these  words  were  penned,  the  relief  squadron  had  already 
left  New  York,  and  wras  approaching  .the  harbour  of 
Charleston,  to  "provision  and  reinforce  Fort  Sumter, — 
peacefully,  if  permitted — otherwise,  by  force."  The  Con 
federate  Commissioners,  after  being  held  at  bay  for  the 
space  of  three  and  twenty  days,  and  amused  with  the  pros 
pect  of  peace,  found  themselves  deceived  and  betrayed ; 
and,  on  the  9th  of  April,  addressed  a  note  to  the  Federal 
authorities,  to  the  effect  that  this  act  of  aggression  could 
not  be  construed  except  "  as  a  declaration  of  war  against 
the  Confederate  States."  In  the  language  of  Mr.  Stephens, 
whom  we  continue  to  quote,  "  It  was  more  than  a  mere 
declaration  of  war ;  it  was  an  act  of  war  itself."  It  was 
under  these  circumstances  of  urgent  necessity  that  the 
bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter  was  begun,  on  the  12th  of 
April.  It  is  not  our  business  to  explain  the  duplicity  of 
this  proceeding.  But  whether  it  was  a  fraud  from  the 
beginning,  or  whether  the  policy  of  the  Federal  adminis 
tration  was  suddenly  changed,  under  the  influence  of  the 
seven  Northern  governors  who  rushed  to  Washington  at 
the  pinch  of  the  crisis,  history  will  be  obliged  to  hold  as 
the  aggressor,  the  party  which  made  the  first  movement 
to  battle,  and  not  those  who  first  struck  the  defensive 
blow.  The  fall  of  Sumter  was  used  with  consummate 
skill,  to  arouse  the  passion  of  the  Northern  masses,  and  to 
inflame  their  resentment  against  the  insult  represented 
as  being  given  to  the  national  flag.  The  whole  country 
was  in  a  blaze,  and  the  four  years'  dismal  and  bloody 
strife  was  begun. 

It  was  during  the  outburst  of  this  storm  that  the  Gen- 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  SOUTHERN  ASSEMBLY.  501 

-eral  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  met,  in  the 
month  of  May,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  The  ecclesi 
astical  bonds  between  North  and  South  were  not  yet 
broken.  A  partial  representation  from  the  Southern 
Presbyteries  sat  in  this  council,  as  in  former  years  ;  deter 
mined  that,  in  the  severing  of  churchly  ties,  the  aggression 
.should  come  from  the  same  quarter  which  had  wrought 
the  rupture  in  the  State.  Perhaps  many  indulged  the 
vain  hope  of  the  writer,  that  the  splendid  opportunity 
would  be  embraced  of  demonstrating  the  purely  spiritual 
.character  of  the  Church,  as  the  "  kingdom  which  is  not  of 
this  world."  It  would  have  been  a  superb  triumph  of 
Christianity,  if  the  Church  could  have  stretched  her  arms 
.across  the  chasm  of  a  great  war,  preserving  the  integrity 
-of  her  ranks  unbroken.  The  golden  vision  was  not  to  be 
realized.  In  defiance  of  the  express  statute  in  our  code, 
which  inhibits  "  Synods  and  councils  from  handling  or 
concluding  anything  but  that  which  is  ecclesiastical,  and 
from  intermeddling  with  civil  affairs,  which  concern  the 
Commonwealth,"  the  famous  "  Spring  Resolutions" — so 
named  from  their  venerable  author,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gardiner 
Spring,  of  New  York — were  adopted,  by  a  vote  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty-four  to  sixty-six.  It  reads  thus : 

"  Resolved,  That  this  General  Assembly,  in  the  spirit  of  that  Chris 
tian  patriotism  which  the  Scriptures  enjoin,  and  which  has  always  char 
acterized  this  Church,  do  hereby  acknowledge  and  declare  our  obligation 
to  promote  and  perpetuate,  so  far  as  in  us  lies,  the  integrity  of  these 
United  States,  and  to  strengthen,  uphold,  and  encourage  the  Federal 
government  in  the  exercise  of  all  its  functions,  under  our  noble  Consti 
tution  ;  and  to  this  Constitution,  in  all  its  provisions,  requirements,  and 
principles,  we  profess  our  unabated  loyalty.  And  to  avoid  all  miscon 
ception,  the  Assembly  declares  that,  by  the  term  'Federal  government,' 
as  here  used,  is  not  meant  any  particular  administration,  or  the  peculiar 
opinions  of  any  particular  party,  but  that  central  administration  which, 
being  at  any  time  appointed  and  inaugurated  according  to  the  forms 
prescribed  in  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  is  the  visible  repre 
sentative  of  our  national  existence. " 

This  paper,  from  its  very  terms,  was  simply  a  writ  of 
ejectment  of  all  that  portion  of  the  Church  within  the 


502  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

bounds  of  eleven  States,  which  had  already  withdrawn 
from  the  Federal  Union,  and  established  a  government  of 
their  own.  A  pledge  was  made  on  their  behalf  by  the 
Assembly,  which  it  was  not  possible  for  them  to  redeem ; 
so  that,  in  the  language  of  Dr.  Hodge's  own  protest,, 
they  were  driven  "to  choose  between  allegiance  to  their 
State  and  allegiance  to  the  Church."  This  was  not  all. 
The  utterance  was  exclusively  and  intensely  political. 
It  touched,  as  with  the  point  of  a  needle,  the  precise  issue 
upon  which  the  war  turned.  The  problem, -in  relation  to 
which  the  most  eminent  statesmen,  JSTorth  and  South,  had 
been  divided  for  seventy-five  years,  was  to  determine 
where  sovereignty — the  jus  summi  imperil — resided;, 
whether  in  the  people,  as  they  are  merged  into  the  mass, 
one  undivided  whole  ;  or  in  the  people,  as  they  were  origi 
nally  formed  into  colonies,  and  afterwards  into  States, 
combining  together  for  purposes  set  forth  in  declarative 
instruments  of  union.  This  question,  lying  wholly  within 
the  domain  of  politics,  the  General  Assembly  assumed 
the  right  to  determine;  so  that,  even  if  not  ejected  by 
what  was  equivalent  to  an  act  of  expulsion,  the  Southern 
Presbyteries  were  compelled  to  separate  themselves,  in 
order  to  preserve  the  crown  rights  of  the  Redeemer,  and 
the  spiritual  independence  of  His  kingdom,  the  Church. 
During  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1861,  forty-seven 
Presbyteries,  each  for  itself,  dissolved  their  connection 
with  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  the  United  States  of  America;  the  ten  Synods,  to 
which  they  belonged,  sealing  the  decison  by  a  corres 
ponding  vote  of  their  own.  This  separation  was  based, 
in  every  case,  upon  the  unconstitutional  character  of  the 
Assembly's  legislation.  We  give  the  language  employed 
by  a  single  Presbytery,  as  showing  the  common  ground 
upon  which  they  all  stood :  "  Resolved^  That  in  view  of 
the  unconstitutional,  Erastian,  tyrannical,  and  virtually 
exscinding  act,  of  the  late  General  Assembly,  sitting  at 
Philadelphia,  in  May  last,  we  do  hereby,  with  a  solemn 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  SOUTHERN  ASSEMBLY.  503 

protest  against  this  act,  declare,  in  the  fear  of  God,  our 
connection  with  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyte 
rian  Church  in  the  United  States  to  be  dissolved."  It 
was  to  secure  unanimity  in  this  important  measure,  as  well 
as  to  prevent  the  evils  which  might  arise  from  a  temporary 
disorganization,  that  Dr.  Thornwell  and  others  thought  a 
convention  of  the  Presbyteries  to  be  so  important.  In 
reality,  there  was  little  danger  of  confusion,  except  from 
diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the  time,  and  place,  and  mode 
of  coming  together.  The  Presbyteries  were  of  one  mind 
as  to  the  necessity  of  separating  from  the  Northern  branch 
of  the  Church,  and  not  less  so  as  to  the  importance  of  com 
bining  again  in  an  Assembly  of  their  own.  During  the 
interval,  the  Presbyteries  and  Synods  were  completely 
organized  under  a  common  constitution  and  polity;  and 
the  only  feature  of  the  system  that  was  lacking,  was  the 
highest  court,  which  should  give  expression  to  their  visible 
unity  and  fellowship.  The  proposed  convention  was  held 
in  the  month  of  August,  at  Atlanta,  Georgia;  and  was 
useful  in  directing  various  matters  of  detail,  which  were 
indispensable  to  concert  of  action. 

As  the  result  of  these  deliberations,  the  General  As 
sembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  Confederate 
States  was  organized  on  the  4th  of  December,  1861,  in 
the  city  of  Augusta,  Georgia ;  and  its  first  act,  after  fixing 
upon  its  name  and  title,  was  the  formal  and  explicit  adop 
tion  of  the  Westminster  Standards  as  its  constitution  : 
"  Resolved,  That  this  Assembly  declare,  in  conformity 
with  the  unanimous  decision  of  our  Presbyteries,  that  the 
Confession  of  Faith,  the  Larger  and  Shorter  Catechisms, 
the  Form  of  Government,  the  Book  of  Discipline,  and 
the  Directory  of  Worship,  which  together  make  up  the 
constitution  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United 
States  of  America,  .are  the  Constitution  of  the  Presbyte 
rian  Church  in  the  Confederate  States  of  America,  only 
substituting  the  term  "  Confederate  States"  for  "  United 
States."  It  was  a  body  not  large  in  size — a  little  less 


504  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

than  one  hundred  members — but  august  in  character.  It 
was  composed  of  men  who  fitly  represented  the  ability ,- 
the  learning,  and  the  piety  of  the  whole  Church,  not  only 
as  to  the  ministers,  but  the  reding  elders,  who  contribute*} 
so  largely  to  shape  the  conclusions  which  were  reached.- 
Dr.  Thornwell  was,  of  course,  one  of  its  guiding  spirits ; 
and  the  papers  which  gave  the  largest  character  to  tins- 
Assembly  emanated  from  his  pen,  and  were  marked  with 
the  ability  of  his  very  best  productions.  We  may  be  al 
lowed  to  instance  "  The  Address  to  all  the  Churches  of 
Jesus  Christ  throughout  the  Earth,"  containing  the  clearest 
statement  of  the  principles  which  had  brought  about  the- 
separation  from  the  Northern  Church ;  involving,  as  this- 
did,  a  beautiful  exposition  of  the  nature  and  functions  of 
the  Church  of  God.  It  will  stand  as  one  of  those  docu 
ments  to  which  the  Church  will  ever  appeal,  as  a  testi 
mony  for  the  truth,  in  times  of  darkness  and  trial,  when 
the  witnesses  for  it  were  thought  worthy  only  of  being, 
slain.  It  was  not  only  expressed  with  that  precision  of 
thought  and  of  language  which  was  characteristic  of  the 
illustrious  author,  but  it  was  pervadad  with  a  sacramental 
fervour,  which  stamped  upon  it  the  impression  of  a  sacred 
and  binding  covenant.  The  scene  which  was  enacted  at 
the  moment  of  its  subscription  will  be  forgotten  by  none1 
who  witnessed  it.  Read,  and  read  again,  amid  the  solemn, 
stillness  of  an  audience  whose  emotions  are  hushed  with 
awe,  it  was  finally  adopted  and  laid  upon  the  Moderator's' 
table ;  when,  one  by  one,  the  members  came  silently  for 
ward  and  signed  the  instrument  with  their  names.  We 

O 

were  carried  back  to  those  stirring  times  in  Scottish  story,. 
when  the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant  was  spread  upon 
the  grave  stone  in  the  Grey  Friar's  church-yard,  and 
Christian  heroes  pricked  their  veins,  that  with  the  red 
blood  they  might  sign  their  allegiance  to  the  kingdom 
and  crown  of  Jesus  Christ,  their  Lord  and  Head. 

There  were  other  scenes  in  that  venerable  court  of  only 
less  interest  than  the  foregoing.      On  the  seventh  day  of 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  SOUTHERN  ASSEMBLY.  505 

the  session,  the  Committee  on  a  Charter  made  their  report, 
submitting  the  draft  of  a  bill  to  incorporate  the  Trustees 
of  the  General  Assembly.  The  peculiar  feature  of  this 
instrument  was,  that  it  made  "  all  the  committees,  agencies, 
or  boards,  which  the  Assembly  might  establish  for  carry 
ing  on  the  general  work  of  the  Church,  branches  of  this 
incorporation ;"  "  any  gift,  conveyance,  or  transfer  of 
estate  in  any  wise,  any  devise  or  bequest  made  to  the 
Trustees  for  either  of  these  agencies,  to  be  transferred  to 
them  in  as  full  and  as  perfect  a  manner  as  if  they  had  been 
especially  incorporated  to  take  and  to  hold  the  same." 
The  object  of  this  measure  was  to  secure  the  complete 
subordination  of  all  these  agencies  to  the  Assembly  itself, 
so  that  they  should  never  have  the  power  to  assert  an  in 
dependent  authority,  and  "  being  kept  together  in  one 
family,  and  under  one  family  name,  to  exhibit  the  appear 
ance  of  uniformity,  sympathy,  harmony,  and  a  delightful 
Christian  brotherhood."  The  Assembly  listened  to  the 
reading  of  the  report  with  undivided  attention,  when  the 
accomplished  chairman,  Judge  Shepherd,  was  subjected 
to  a  sharp  and  critical  interrogation  from  all  parts  of  ihe 
house,  which  he  sustained  with  admirable  dignity,  compo 
sure  and  courtesy.  It  was  terminated  at  length  by  an 
observation  of  Chancellor  Johnston,  of  South  Carolina  : 
"  I  think  the  Judge  has  passed  a  good  examination,  and 
I  hope  he  will  be  allowed  to  retire."  To  this,  Dr.  Thorn- 
well  added,  with  a  glow  of  animation  suffusing  his  pallid 
face,  "  To  me  this  is  a  most  delightful  paper ;  4I  can  find 
nothing  in  it  to  be  objected  to,  and  I  move,  therefore, 
that  it  be  received,  so  that  the  lawyers  may  have  a  chance 
at  it."  Altogether,  it  was  a  scene  of  dramatic  interest, 
the  exact  parallel  with  which  we  never  before  had  wit 
nessed  in  any  Church  court. 

The  great  business  of  the  body,  however,  was  to  equip 
the  Church  for  the  great  work  to  which  she  is  ordained 
by  her  Divine  Head.  Executive  agencies  were  appointed 
to  superintend  both  Foreign  and  Domestic  Missionary 


506  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

operations,  as  well  as  those  of  Education  and  Publication, 
with  definite  principles  and  rules  laid  down  for  their  guid 
ance.  The  cumbrous  and  useless  machinery  of  Boards, 
interposed  as  a  screen  between  the  Assembly  and  its  dif 
ferent  agencies,  was  discarded  without  a  dissenting  voice. 
Simple  committees  were  substituted  in  their  place,  com 
posed  of  members  residing  in  one  locality,  with  merely 
executive  functions,  and  immediately  responsible  to  the 
Assembly,  by  whom  they  are  annually  appointed.  The 
cordial  unanimity  with  which  all  this  was  done,  showed  a 
remarkable  advance  in  the  recognition  of  a  sound  and 
pure  Presbyterianism.  Every  one  breathed  freely,  in  a 
free  Church,  which  could  at  length  work  out  its  own  great 
principles,  without  the  incubus  of  foreign  influences  and 
institutions.  The  time-honoured  standards  of  the  Pres 
byterian  Church  had  been  explicitly  adopted,  without  any 
•equivocation  or  reservation  as  to  their  interpretation ;  the 
watchmen  in  Zion  seeing  eye  to  eye,  and  all  being  of  one 
mind,  to  rise  and  build  up  her  broken  walls.  It  was  a 
sublime  spectacle  of  faith  :  this  Church,  hedged  in  by  a 
cordon  of  armies,  looking  out  upon  the  whole  world  as  its 
field,  and  quietly  preparing  herself  for  labours  in  the  fu 
ture  y  while  stone  was  laid  upon  stone  in  the  solid  masonry 
•of  her  organization,  without  the  sound  of  hammer  or  chisel 
being  heard  in  all  her  courts.  It  was  when  "  the  King 
of  Babylon's  army  beseiged  Jerusalem,  and  Jeremiah, 
the  prophet,  was  shut  up  in  the  court  of  the  prison  which 
was  in  the  king  of  Judah's  house,"  that  the  word  of  the 
Lord  came  unto  him,  saying,  "  buy  the  field  that  is  in 
Anathoth,  for  the  right  of  redemption  is  thine  to  buy  it." 
God's  way,  in  calling  His  people  to  the  exercise  of  faith, 
has  been  in  all  ages  to  load  that  faith  down  with  all  that 
it  can  bear;  and  here  stood  a  Church  doing  a  work  in 
gloom  and  darkness,  which  was  simply  prophetic  of  the 
future,  and  a  pledge  of  faithfulness  to  the  principles  which 
she  had  received  grace  to  see  and  to  glorify. 

Two  measures  were  proposed  in  this  Assembly  which 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  SOUTHERN  ASSEMBLY.  507 

did  not  pass.  Oiie  of  these  was  brought  up  in  the  form 
of  an  overture,  and  thus  an  incidental  mention  of  it  is 
made  upon  the  Minutes.  The  other  came  up  in  the  form 
of  simple  resolution,  and  was  withdrawn,  and  finds  no 
record.  They  are  both  of  interest,  as  illustrating  the 
spirit  and  temper  of  the  body,  and  form  a  part  of  its  un 
written  history.  They  are  introduced  here  from  their 
connection  with  the  subject  of  these  Memoirs,  and. reflect 
his  views  and  his  feelings.  The  first  was  a  memorial 
which,  it  was  overtured,  should  be  sent  to  the  Confederate 
Congress,  for  the  incorporation  of  an  article  in  the  con 
stitution  distinctly  -recognizing  the  Christian  religion. 
This  proposition  originated  with  Dr.  Thorriwell ;  but  the 
overture  not  being  reached  on  the  calendar  until  the 
eighth  day  of  the  session,  and  being  vigorously  opposed 
by  some  who  doubted  the  wisdom  and  propriety  of  the 
measure,  it  was  withdrawn  by  the  author,  on  the  ground 
that  there  was  not  time  for  its  discussion.  He  further  felt 
that  it  should  not  be  pressed,  unless  it  could  be  adopted, 
with  cordiality  and  unanimity.  The  fact  of  its  presenta 
tion,  however,  discloses  his  view  upon  a  public  question 
of  no  little  importance,  and  merits  a  record  in  a  detailed 
account  of  his  own  life. 

The  other  question  related  to  the  sending  of  a  letter  to 
the  Northern  Assembly,  announcing  the  organization  of  a 
co-ordinate  body  with  itself,  and  setting  forth  the  reasons 
for  this  action.  Dr.  Thorriwell  was  not  the  mover  of  the 
resolution,  but  he  favoured  its  passage.  The  dicussion 
developed  some  feeling,  which  disinclined  many  against 
any  act  of  courtesy  towards  a  body  whose  course  had 
been  so  unjust,  and  who  were  probably  in  no  temper 
to  appreciate  it.  As  an  evidence  of  Dr.  Thornwell's 
mellowness  of  spirit,  and  the  entire  absence  of  anything 
approaching  to  bitterness,  we  quote  his  language-  in  this 
debate  :  "  Mr.  Moderator,  let  us  grant  that  the  brethren 
of  the  Old  Assembly  have  injured  us,  I  can  say  honestly 
and  conscientiously  before  God,  that  I  forgive  them  for 


508  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

everything  they  have  ever  done  to  me  or  my  Church.  I 
have  no  resentment  against  them ;  and  my  only  regret  is 
that  they  have  allowed  themselves  to  commit  this  act  of 
infatuation ;  and  I  do  earnestly  want  to  be  able  to  have 
it  said  of  this  Church,  that  it  was  not  influenced  by  pas 
sion  or  resentment ;  that  they  have  not  left  in  a  pet,  or 
through  revenge ;  but  that  we  have  come  calmly  and  dis 
passionately,  in  a  spirit  of  peace  and  charity,  to  our 
present  position.  I  do  not  desire  that  we  should  go  be 
fore  that  Assembly  to  make  representations  of  innocence,, 
but  to  stand  up  before  them  as  their  equals,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  as  fellow  Christians.  They  have  erred,  but 
they  are  men — ^humanum  est  err  are'' — and  does  it  be 
come  us  to  scorn  one  another  ?  But  it  is  a  matter  of  self- 
respect  to  this  body,  that  the  world  may  know  that  it  ha& 
not  been  influenced  by  low  passions  or  undue  anger." 

The  strength  of  the  opposition  induced  the  mover  to 
withdraw  his  resolution,  so  that  the  sense  of  the  Assem 
bly  was  never  taken.  But  if  the  reader  is  curious  to  know 
what  would  have  been  the  tone  of  such  a  communication 
as  Dr.  Thornwell  would  have  sanctioned,  he  will  be  grati 
fied  in  perusing  the  following  draft  of  a  paper,  which  he 
had  evidently  prepared  with  a  view  to  some  such  action 
being  taken  as  would  authorize  its  use.  '  It  is  styled, 

"Farewell  Letter  to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in. 
the  United  States. 

' '  The  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  Confede 
rate  States  of  America,  to  the  Geneneral  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian- 
Church  in  the  United  States  of  America,  greeting  : 

"Be  it  known  to  you,  brethren,  that  the  Presbyteries  and  Synods  in 
these  Confederate  States,  which  were  formerly  in  connection  with  you, 
have  withdrawn  from  your  jurisdiction,  and  organized  a  General  As 
sembly  for  themselves.  They  are  now  a  separate  and  independent 
Church.  We  think  it  due  to  you  in  comity,  that  we  should  set  forth  a 
brief  statement  of  the  reasons  which  have  impelled  us  to  take  this  step, 
in  order  that  you  may  see  that  we  have  not  been  influenced  by  the  spirit 
of  auger,  resentment,  or  schism.  We  have  no  grudge  to  gratify ;  and 
whatever  wrong  may  have  been  done  us  in  your  recent  legislation,  we. 
freely  and  cheerfully  forgive.. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  SOUTHERN  ASSEMBLY.  509 

"We  have  -withdrawn,  first,  because  we  are  persuaded  that,  if  we  re 
main  together,  our  harmony  is  likely  to  be  disturbed  by  the  introduction 
of  our  political  differences  into  our  Church  courts.  We  have  taken 
warning  from  the  example  of  your  late  meeting  at  Philadelphia.  Your 
proceedings  there  have  been  sanctioned  by  the  general  sentiment  of 
your  Presbyteries,  and  leave  us  no  alternative  but  a  choice  betwixt  use 
less  strife,  or  a  quiet  and  peaceable  separation. 

"In  the  next  place,  we  are  convinced  that,  as  a  general  rule,  Church 
organizations  should  be  bounded  by  national  lines.  A  division  of  this- 
sort  is  P  division  for  convenience  and  efficiency.  It  argues  no  breach 
of  charity,  and  therefore  implies  no  schism.  In  the  circumstances  of  the 
Confederate  and  United  States,  it  seems  to  be  peculiarly  desirable  that 
the  Churches  should  be  as  independent  as  the  Government. 

"To  this  may  be  added,  in  the  third  place,  that  the  efficiency  of  the 
Southern  Church,  in  its  efforts  to  evangelize  the  slave  population,  would 
be  greatly  impeded,,  in  the  present  condition  of  affairs,  by  a  Northern 
alliance.  We  deem  it  unnecessary  to  expand  these  reasons.  They  have 
appeared  to  us  decisive  of  our  duty;  and  in  the  fear  of  God,  for  the 
glory  of  Kis  name,  and  for  the  honour  and  prosperity  of  His  Church, 
we  have,  with  perfect  unanimity,  dissolved  our  old  ties,  and  assumed  a 
position  of  equality  with  yourselves.  Your  faith  and  order  are  ours. 
Your  noble  testimony  for  the  truth,  in  by-gone  days,  is  still  ours.  All 
that  is  precious  in  the  past  is  still  ours.  And  we  sincerely  pray  that  the 
two  Churches  may  hereafter  have  no  other  rivalry  but  that  of  love  to 
the  Master,  and  of  holy  zeal  in  His  cause.  We  bid  you  farewell." 

It  must  be  distinctly  remembered  that  this  is  strictly  a 
private  paper,  though  moulded  into  the  form  of  a  public 
document.  It  was  never  presented  to  the  consideration 
of  the  Assembly ;  and  is  engrossed  in  this  volume  only 
as  an  illustration  of  the  charity  and  Christian  spirit  of  a 
man  whose  memory  is  precious. 

Somewhat  earlier  than  the  events  recorded,  during  the 
month  of  November,  1861,  the  Synod  of  South  Carolina 
held  its  annual  session,  in  the  town  of  Abbeville.  Ad 
vantage  was  taken  of  the  presence  of  gentlemen  from 
different  parts  of  the  State  to  make  a  declaration  upon 
public  affairs.  Dr.  Thornwell  offered  the  following  reso 
lutions,  which  were  adopted  unanimously  by  the  meeting: 

" Reaolved,  1.  By  the  ministers  and  elders  composing  this  Synod,  not 
in  their  ecclesiastical  capacity  as  a  court  of  Jesus  Christ,  but  in  their 
private  capacity,  as  a  convention  of  Christian  gentlemen,  that  our  alle- 


510         LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

glance  is  due,  through  the  sovereign  State  to  which  we  belong,  and 
shall  be  rendered,  to  the  Government  of  the  Confederate  States,  as  long 
as  South  Carolina  remains  in  the  number. 

"Resolved,  2.  That  the  war  which  the  United  States  are  now  waging 
against  us,  is  unjust,  cruel,  and  tyrannical,  and  in  contravention  of  every 
principle  of  freedom,  which  their  fathers  and  ours  bled  to  establish. 

"Resolved,  3.  That  we  are  firmly  persuaded,  that  the  only  hope  of 
constitutional  liberty,  on  this  continent,  is  in  the  success  of  the  Con 
federate  cause ;  and  that  we  pledge  ourselves,  and  we  think  we  can  safely 
say,  the  Presbyterian  people  of  these  States,  to  uphold  and  support  the 
Government,  in  every  lawful  measure,  to  maintain  our  rights  and  our 
honour. 

"Resolved,  4.  That  we  heartily  approve  of  the  appointment,  by  our 
President,  of  next  Friday,  as  a  day  of  fasting,  humiliation  and  prayer." 

By  a  singular  clerical  error,  in  the  shifting  of  hands 
through  which  the  minute  was  passed,  these  resolutions 
were  engrossed  upon  the  Records  of  the  Synod.  Excep 
tion  was  entered  against  the  entry  by  the  Assembly  of 
1862,  in  their  review  of  the  Records;  and  immediately 
under  the  exception,  by  leave  of  the  court,  an  explanatory 
note  was  appended,  showing  how  this  mistake  occurred. 
The  incident  is  of  no  great  importance,  except  as  proving 
the  care  with  which  the  Southern  Church  kept  herself 
clear  of  all  political  complications.  In  the  first  place, 
these  gentlemen,  though  brought  together  as  members 
of  the  Synod,  are  careful  to  say  that  they  organize,  not 
as  a  Church  court,  but  as  private  citizens,  in  a  voluntary 
convention.  Their  action  was  not  ecclesiastical,  but 
purely  civil  in  its  character.  In  the  second  place,  when., 
by  accident,  their  proceedings  were  entered  upon  the 
Records  of  a  Church  judicatory,  it  wras  disallowed,  and 
censured  by  the  superior  court,  and  the  error  was  both 
acknowledged  and  explained.  The  memoirs  of  these 
times  are  destined,  by  and  by,  to  a  sifting  examination; 
every  action  will  be  subjected  to  rigorous  cross-examina 
tion,  and  the  facts  will  be  all  the  clearer  by  the  light  of 
contrast  in  which  they  will  be  made  to  stand. 

In  further  illustration  of  the  caution  with  which,  during 
these  troubled  times,  politics  were  excluded  from  religious 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  SOUTHERN  ASSEMBLY.  511 

services,  we  append  a  prayer  offered  by  Dr.  Thornwell  at 
the  opening  of  the  South  Carolina  Legislature.  To  those 
who  are  sometimes  called  to  officiate  in  this  delicate  service, 
it  may  be  acceptable  as  a  model,  showing  a  proper  reserve 
in  alluding  to  the  public  exigencies,  and  maintaining  the 
attitude  and  spirit  of  real  prayer,  when  the  temptation  is 
so  strong  to  obtrude  our  advice  upon  the  Almighty,  as  to 
the  administration  of  His  providence.  The  fact  that  it 
is  found  amongst  his  manuscripts  proves  that  it  was  care 
fully  premeditated.  But  though,  in  consequence,  more 
measured  in  its  language  than  the  public  prayers  usually 
offered  at  this  period,  it  is  still  an  exemplification  of  the 
restraint  which  ministers  at  the  South  imposed  upon 
themselves  in  the  devotions  of  the  sanctuary : 

"PBAYEB. 

"Almighty  and  everlasting  God,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  Creator  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  we  adore  Thee  as  the 
only  living  and  true  God.  Thou  only  art  the  Lord.  Thou  rulest  over 
all,  doing  Thy  pleasure  among  the  armies  of  heaven  and  the  inhabitants 
of  earth ;  and  none  can  stay  Thy  hand,  or  say  unto  Thee,  what  doest 
Thou.  Thy  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  Thy  dominion 
endureth  throughout  all  generations.  Thou  deservest  to  reign  ;  for  Thou 
only  art  wise,  and  good,  and  holy.  Thou  also  art  merciful  and  gracious. 
Especially  do  we  thank  Thee  for  Thine  unspeakable  love  in  the  redemp 
tion  of  sinners  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  In  His  name  we  present  our 
selves  before  Thee  now,  and  for  His  sake  we  humbly  implore  Thy  favour 
and  blessing.  We  confess  ourselves  unworthy  to  receive  the  least  of 
Thy  mercies  ;  for  we  have  sinned,  and  sinned  grievously,  against  Thee. 
O  God,  enter  not  into  judgment  with  us,  but  grant  us  true  repentance. 
Give  us  grace  to  seek  Thee  with  our  whole  hearts,  and  keep  us  in  the 
way  of  Thy  commandments. 

"We  adore  Thee  as  the  King  of  nations.  We  acknowledge  the  su 
preme  authority  of  Thy  law ;  and  we  beseech  Thee  to  be  our  God,  and 
the  God  of  our  children,  throughout  all  generations.  Especially,  O  God, 
do  we  supplicate  the  guidance  of  Thy  wisdom  in  all  the  deliberations  of 
of  this  legislative  Assembly.  Vain  is  the  help  of  man.  We  would  entrust 
ourselves,  and  the  interest  of  our  country,  into  Thy  hands ;  and  we  be 
seech  Thee  to  impart  to  this  Assembly  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
giving  to  each  member  a  sound  understanding,  pure  motives,  and  a  clear 
perception  of  what  is  right  and  fit  to  be  done.  Save  us  from  error,  from 
pride,  from  unholy  passions.  Clothe  us  with  true  humility.  Teach  us 
Thy  will,  and  give  us  strength  to  perform  it. 


512  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

"O  God,  if  consistent  with  Thy  will,  rebuke  the  troubled  elements; 
epeak  peace  to  the  tumults  of  the  people;  restore  truth,  justice,  and 
brotherly  love.  Bind  the  States  of  this  Confederacy  together  in  the  ties 
of  righteousness  and  peace.  But  whatever  may  be  the  issue,  grant  peace 
.and  prosperity  to  this  Commonwealth,  and  to  all  the  States  which  have 
a  common  interest  with  us.  Unite  them  together  in  harmony  and  love, 
and  give  them  a  name  and  an  honourable  place  among  the  nations  of  the 
earth.  Oh!  grant  that  we  may  own  Thee  as  our  God,  and  protect  us 
from  the  power  of  every  adversary.  Into  Thy  hands  we  commend  our 
,cause  ;  and  all  we  ask  is  Thy  fatherly  guidance  and  blessing." 


CHAPTER    XXXY. 
HIS  DEATH. 

CONTINUED  INTEREST  IN  THE  WAR. — WRITES  FOR  THE  SECULAR  PRESS. — 
His  SON  WOUNDED. — VISITS  RICHMOND. — RETURN. — VACATION. — TRA 
VEL  FOR  HEALTH. — LETTERS  HOME. — SON'S  RETURN  TO  ACTIVE  SERVICE. 
— MEETING  IN  CHARLOTTE. — SKETCH  OF  SON'S  CAREER. — LAST  SICK 
NESS. — His  MALADY. — LETHARGY. — LAST  SAYINGS. — DEATH.  — FUNERAL 
SERVICES. — His  TOMB. 

DURING  the  winter  of  1861-%  Dr.  Thornwell,  in  fre 
quent  communications  to  the  daily  press,  sought  to 
animate  the  people  to  maintain  the  struggle  in  which 
they  were  embarked.  These  were  far  from  being  inflam 
matory  appeals  to  their  prejudices  and  passions,  but  well 
considered,  though  energetic,  addresses  to  the  reason  and 
to  the  conscience.  He  published,  also,  a  tract  of  twelve 
pages,  which  was  extensively  circulated  in  the  army,  and 
amongst  the  people  at  home.  It  was  entitled,  "Our 
Danger  and  Our  Duty."  Under  the  first  head,  he  de 
picted  with  fearful  distinctness  the  results  of  our  defeat, 
both  as  to  the  South  and  the  North;  under  the  second, 
he  presented  the  spirit  which  should  prompt  every  citizen 
of  the  Commonwealth,  and  without  which  the  victory 
<x>uld  never  be  won.  The  reader  will  find  in  the  Ap 
pendix,  marked  No.  Ill,  this  elegant  brochure,  replete 
with  classical  references  and  allusions,  which  are  intro 
duced,  not  simply  for  their  rhetorical  effect,  but  as  en 
forcing  the  argument,  or  exhortation,  which  they  elucidate. 
We  cite  a  paragraph,  showing  the  revolution  which  would 
be  accomplished  in  the  character  of  the  government,  by 
the  triumph  of  the  Federal  arms.  The  reader  can  judge 
for  himself  how  far  the  prediction  has  been  pushed  for 
ward  to  its  fulfilment,  in  the  events  that  have  happened 

513 


514:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

since  the  close  of  the  war.  Its  repnblication  may  prove 
one  of  those  notes  of  warning  which  may  yet  waken  the 
nation  from  its  fatal  apathy  : 

"But  the  consequences  of  success  on  our  part  will  be  very  different 
from  the  consequences  of  success  on  the  part  of  the  North.  If  they  pre 
vail,  the  whole  character  of  the  Government  will  be  changed,  and,  instead 
of  a  federal  republic,  the  common  agent  of  sovereign  and  independent 
States,  we  shall  have  a  central  despotism,  with  the  notion  of  States  for 
ever  abolished,  deriving  its  powers  from  the  will,  and  shaping  its  policy 
according  to  the  wishes,  of  a  numerical  majority  of  the  people ;  we  shall 
have,  in  other  words,  a  supreme,  irresponsible  democracy.  The  will  of 
the  North  will  stand  for  law.  The  Government  does  not  now  recognize 
itself  as  an  ordinance  of  God;  and,  when  all  the  checks  and  balances  of 
the  Constitution  are  gone,  we  may  easily  figure  to  ourselves  the  career 
and  the  destiny  of  this  godless  monster  of  democratic  absolutism.  The 
progress  of  regulated  liberty  on  this  continent  will  be  arrested,  anarchy 
will  soon  succeed,  and  the  end  will  be  a  military  despotism,  which  pre 
serves  order  by  the  sacrifice  of  the  last  vestige  of  liberty.  We  are  fnlly 
persuaded  that  the  triumph  of  the  North  in  the  present  conflict  will  be 
as  disastrous  to  the  hopes  of  mankind  as  to  our  own  fortunes.  They  are 
now  fighting  the  battle  of  despotism.  They  have  put  their  Constitution 
under  their  feet ;  they  have  annulled  its  most  sacred  provisions  ;  and,  in 
defiance  of  its  solemn  guaranties,  they  are  now  engaged,  in  the  halls  of 
Congress,  in  discussing  and  maturing  bills  which  make  Northern  notions 
of  necessity  the  paramount  laws  of  the  land.  The  avowed  end  of  the 
present  war  is,  to  make  the  Government  a  government  of  force." 

In  urging  the  question  of  duty,  he  eloquently  dissuades 
from  apathy  and  insensibility  to  the  magnitude  of  the 
issue;  from  the  spirit  of  avarice  and  speculation,  which 
would  fatten  upon  the  public  distress;  from  the  spirit  of 
faction,  which  is  equally  selfish,  and  still  more  divisive 
and  distracting;  from  indolence  and  love  of  ease;  from 
fastidious  notions  of  etiquette,  especially  in  military  cir 
cles  ;  from  presumptuous  self-confidence  and  pride ;  from 
despondency  under  reverses  of  fortune;  and  concludes 
with  an  appeal  which  rung  out  upon  the  land  with  the 
sharp  tone  of  the  clarion :  "  We  occupy  a  sublime  position. 
The  eyes  of  the  world  are  upon  us ;  we  are  a  spectacle  to 
God,  to  angels,  and  to  men.  Can  our  hearts  grow  faint, 
or  our  hands  feeble,  in  a  cause  like  this  ?  The  spirits  of 


HIS  DEATH.  515 

our  fathers  call  to  us  from  their  graves.  The  heroes  of 
other  ages  and  other  countries  are  beckoning  us  on  to 
glory.  Let  us  seize  the  opportunity,  and  make  to  our 
selves  an  immortal  name,  while  we  redeem  a  land  from 
bondage,  and  a  continent  from  ruin." 

The  sorrows  of  the  war  were  destined  to  touch  him  in 
his  home.  This  will  be  best  introduced  in  the  letter  which 
follows,  addressed  to  General  Gillespie: 

"COLUMBIA,  May  8,  18G2. 

"  MY  DEAR  GENERAL  :  I  have  just  received  a  telegram  from  Richmond, 
that  my  dear  boy  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Williamsburg,  on  Monday. 
I  received  the  dispatch  late  this  afternoon ;  his  mother  and  myself  set 
out  in  the  morning  to  go  to  him.  The  wound  was  a  sabre  thrust.  It  is 
represented  as  slight,  but  he  is  to  be  removed  to  Richmond.  Of  course, 
I  feel  very  uneasy.  He  is  represented  as  having  acted  very  bravely. 
That  I  knew  he  would  do;  he  is  all  pluck.  His  heart  is  in  the  cause;, 
and  he  is,  I  assure  you,  a  noble  boy.  Though  under  age,  he  has  enlisted 
for  the  war,  with  rny  full  consent.  I  knew  you  would  like  to  hear  about 
him,  and  have  seized  a  moment  to  drop  you  this  hasty  line. 

"  The  times  are  dark,  but  the  Lord  reigns.  I  feel  an  abiding  confi 
dence  that  we  shall  yet  win  the  day.  Our  people  are  beginning  at  last 
to  wake  up  ;  they  are  rising  in  the  right  spirit  all  over  the  land.  What 
we  have  now  to  fear  is  the  spirit  of  faction.  That  must  be  rebuked ; 
we  must  silence  the  fault-finders  and  croakers.  The  President  is  merci 
lessly  abused  .by  some  of  the  papers ;  and  if  we  are  not  ruined,  it  will 
not  be  because  these  spirits  have  not  tried  to  destroy  our  confidence 
in  our  leaders.  We  must  stand  by  Davis  through  thick  and  thin.  We 
are  all  in  the  same  ship ;  and  I  am  sure,  moreover,  that  he  deserves  our 
confidence.  Time  will  prove  that  he  was  the  man  for  the  crisis.  The 
Lord  be  with  you  all,  and  bless  you ;  my  heart  is  full. 

As  ever, 

J.  H.  THORNWELL. 

Upon  arriving  at  Richmond  on  this  melancholy  errand, 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Thorn  well  found  their  son,  Gillespie,  kindly 
sheltered  in  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  T.  V.  Moore.  His 
wound  was  within  a  hair's  breadth  of  being  fatal,  but  not 
so  severe  as  to  prevent  his  return,  on  furlough,  with 
his  parents.  We  find  Dr.  Thornwell  at  home,  in  Co 
lumbia,  on  the  26th  of  May,  1862  ;  at  which  date  he  thus 
writes  to  the  Rev.  Joseph  M.  Atkinson,  of  Raleigh,  N.  C. : 


516  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY   THORN  WELL. 

"Mr  DEAE  BKOTHEE  :  It  will  be  many  a  day  before  I  forget  the 
delightful  episode  which  I  experienced  at  your  house,  in  a  dreary  history. 
I  cannot  tell  you  how  much  I  enjoyed  it.  My  wife  and  myself  con 
stantly  speak  of  it,  and  I  am' afraid  that  its  effect  will  be,  that  hereafter 
I  cannot  pass  Raleigh  without  remaining  for  a  night  to  bore  the  good 
friends  at  the  parsonage.  Walpole  described  gratitude  '  as  the  expecta 
tion  of  future  favours.'  Have  a  care  lest  I  seek,  in  your  case,  to  realize 
the  definition. 

"  I  was  sorry  to  hear  that  poor  Law.  could  not  be  moved.  It  was 
a  kind  Providence  that  put  him  in  such  good  hands ;  but  I  cannot 
help  feeling  some  degree  of  concern,  that  I  was  the  occasion  of  taxing 
your  family  with  a  good  deal  of  care  and  trouble.  I  know  that  you  feel 
it  to  be  anything  but  irksome  to  relieve  the  distressed ;  but  still,  more  or 
less  anxiety  will  be  connected  with  such  a  charge. 

"  My  own  son  continues  to  improve.  He  stood  the  journey  remark 
ably  well,  better  even  than  I  did.  For  I  had  to  go  to  bed  upon  reaching 
home,  and  have  not  been  worth  a  chew  of  tobacco  since  my  arrival.  If 
I  had  not  felt  so  good  for  nothing,  I  would  have  written  to  you  before. 

"You  see  that  the  gun-boat  expedition  failed  against  Richmond. 
I  am  now  quite  confident  that  the  Lord  means  to  defend  the  city. 
McClellan  has  fairly  confessed  that  Johnson  has  outwitted  him.  He  was 
v«rily  persuaded  that  Johnson's  retreat  from  Yorktown  and  Williams- 
burg  was  an  honest  flight,  and  that  he  would  soon  be  able  to  drive  him 
to  the  wall.  He  suddenly  discovers  that  our  numbers  are  too  great  to  be 
pressed  on,  and  that  he  must  fall  back  on  his  old  plan  of  ditching  and 
trenching.  I  hope  a  period  will  soon  be  put  to  his  operations.  The 
sooner  the  better  for  the  Confederate  cause. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  anything  more  atrocious  than  the  general  order  of 
Butler,  in  relation  to  the  ladies  at  New  Orleans?  Can  the  civilized 
world  stand  that  ?  Has  the  North  lost  all  moral  sensibility  ?  It  really 
seems  to  me  to  be  on  the  verge  of  judicial  abandonment.  Upon  the 
battle  of  Richmond,  and  that  at  Corinth,  great  interests  are  suspended. 
It  is  important  for  us  that  they  be  speedy,  and  that  they  be  decisive. 
"We  should  be  earnest  in  prayer  that  God  would  interpose  for  us. 

•"  When  will  you  be  in  these  parts?  You  cannot  imagine  how  much 
pleasure  it  would  give  us  to  see  you.  We  have  a  little  hog  and  hominy 
left,  and  we  can  give  you  greens  on  the  same  dish  with  the  ham,  a  la 
Virginie.  Grace  be  with  you. 

Most  truly, 

J.  H.  THOENWELL." 

The  Seminary  vacation  invited  to  repose  and  to  travel ; 
for  it  was  only  by  incessant  patching,  his  feeble  constitution 
eonld  resist  the  inroads  of  that  disease  by  which  it  was 
secretly  undermined.  In  the  month  of  June  he  left  for 
Wilson's  Springs,  in  North  Carolina;  and  after  a  short 


HIS  DEATH.  517 

stay,  found  his  way  to  the  home  of  his  son-in-law,  the 
Rev.  Robert  B.  Anderson,  in  Lincoln  county,  of  the  same 
State.  From  this  place  his  next  letter  is  addressed : 

"ELDERSLIS,  Jun6  20,  18G2. 

"My  DARLING  WIFE:  I  sent  Gillespie  to  Charlotte  yesterday  with  a 
letter,  to  be  mailed  from  there  to  you.  His  wound  was  not  well  enough 
to  authorize  him  to  return  to  service ;  so  I  directed  him  to  go  home, 
and  when  he  returned,  to  bring  you  with  him  as  far  as  Charlotte.  I 
want  you  to  have  some  recreation  from  care  and  anxiety.  But,  more 
than  that,  I  want  to  see  you  very  much  indeed.  I  think  about  you 
night  and  day ;  and  every  time  I  see  the  little  grand-son,  I  think  how 
much  pleasure  it  would  give  you  to  see  his  monkey  motions. 

"  I  did  not  go  with  Gillespie  to  Charlotte,  as  I  was  reluctant  to  expose 
myself  in  the  sun.  I  have  begun  to  improve,  and  I  was  afraid  of  losing 
all  that  I  had  gained.  I  rub  every  night  with  the  liniment  of  spirits  of 
turpentine.  I  have  also  been  taking  some  pilJs  of  turpentine.  My  ap 
petite  is  good,  and  my  strength  is  now  nearly  as  great  as  ever.  But  my 
bowels  are  not  exactly  in  tone.  The  diarrhoea  has  pretty  well  ceased, 
and  all  symptoms  of  dysentery  have  disappeared.  I  am  as  well  now  as 
before  I  went  to  Richmond.  I  drink  the  mineral  water  here  all  the 
time,  and  think  it  is  as  good  for  me  as  Wilson's.  But  next  week  I  think 
of  going  to  Wilson's,  and  seeing  how  the  land  lies.  ****** 
I  am  very  particular  about  my  diet.  I  eat  no  vegetables  at  all,  but  po 
tatoes.  The  only  meat  I  use  is  ham  or  dried  beef.  We  have  no  fresh 
meats  at  all,  not  even  chickens.  I  have  not  been  out  any  where.  The 
sun  has  been  so  hot,  that  I  have  been  afraid  to  expose  myself  in  it. 
The  wheat  in  this  neighbourhood  is  a  great  failure.  The  prospect  of 
the  corn  crop  is  very  promising,  but  the  trying  time  is  to  come.  Our 
interests  are  in  the  hands  of  God.  He  knows  what  is  best  for  us.  He 
may  sorely  chastise,  and  afterwards  bind  up  and  heal.  Oh!  that  we 
could  all  but  put  our  trust  only  in  Him !  Kiss  the  children.  Love  to 
all.  The  choicest  blessings  of  heaven  upon  your  own  head.  Grant  that 
we  may  soon  meet  again.  I  long  to  be  at  home  with  my  loved  ones. 
"As  ever,  your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THORN  WELL." 

Two  days  later  he  writes  thus : 

"ELDERSLIE,  June  28,  18G2. 

"  MY  DARLING  WIFE:  I  suppose  that  Gillespie  has  reached  home  by 
this  time.  He  wrote  to  me  a  very  satisfactory  letter  from  Charlotte.  I 
want  him  to  see  Dr.  Fair,  and  have  his  wound  properly  dressed.  From 
the  slowness  with  which  it  has  been  healing,  I  am  afraid  that  the  mode 
of  treatment  with  the  court-plaster  was  not  tho  best.  He  must  not 
think  of  returning  to  Richmond  until  he  is  entirely  well.  I  will  arrange 
the  matter  with  the  Government  so  as  to  save  him  from  all  trouble. 


518  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOBNWELL. 

"I  think  I  am  improving.  The  climate  here  is  so  refreshing,  and 
the  water  of  the  mineral  spring  so  grateful,  that  I  cannot  but  hope,  in  a 
few  days  more,  to  be  something  like  myself  again.  I  have  been  able 
to  keep  down  diarrhosa,  but  it  is  by  the  use  of  opiates.  I  am  now  trying 
to  leave  it  off,  and  hope  soon  to  be  able  to  dispense  with  everything. 
*  *  *  *  *  j  have  tried  to  keep  my  mind  free  from  all  care  ;  but  I 
cannot  help  thinking  about  you  and  your  life  of  labour  and  anxiety.  I 
reflect  upon  myself ,  that  I  am  here,  free  from  the  bustle  of  the  family, 
and  you  at  home,  working  like  a  slave  to  keep  up  the  family.  My  heart 
and  my  sympathies  are  with  you.  I  share  your  burdens,  though  you 
know  it  not ;  and  I  pray  for  you  night  and  day,  that  the  Lord  may  give 
you  strength  suited  to  your  day.  Try  and  be  cheerful.  I  wish  that  you 
could  so  arrange  matters  as  to  come  up  with  Gillespie  on  his  way  to  Kich- 
mond.  I  would  meet  you  at  Charlotte.  If  you  can  come,  you  can  bring 
little  Charlie  with  you.  If  you  cannot  come,  I  must  be  thinking  about 
getting  home.  I  cannot  consent  that  you  should  have  all  the  trouble  on 
your  shoulders. 

"I  suppose  the  great  battle  at  Richmond  has  been  joined,  and  is  now 
going  on.  God  grant  that  the  victory  may  be  ours.  But  it  makes  one 
sad  to  think  of  the  fearful  cost  at  which  victory  must  be  purchased. 
Thousands  must  fall ;  thousands  more  maimed  for  life ;  and  scores  of 
families  must  be  hung  in  mourning.  How  earnest  should  we  be  in 
prayer  that  God  would  temper  judgment  with  mercy  I  If  we  fail,  the 
consequences  to  us  will  be  the  most  gloomy.  I  dread  to  think  of  them. 
But  we  must  not  dream  of  giving  up  the  fight.  We  must  keep  the  field 
as  long  as  there  is  a  man  who  can  bear  arms. 

"  The  family  here  are  all  well.  Pattie  reads  and  amuses  herself  with 
the  baby.  The  boy  is  very  interesting.  He  cannot  yet  talk,  but  he  is 
beginning  to  try.  '  He  feels  the  want  of  language,  and  labours  hard  to 
express  himself.  All  send  much  love  to  you  and  the  children.  Tell 
Gillespie  I  shall  write  to  him  on  Monday.  The  Lord  be  with  you  all, 
and  bless  you,  and  keep  you. 

"As  ever,  your  devoted  husband, 

J.  H.  THOENWELL." 

Onr  hand  trembles  Tinder  the  sorrow  of  a  great  be 
reavement,  which,  though  twelve  years  have  rolled  away, 
is  as  fresh  and  keen  to-day  as  when  it  was  first  encoun 
tered.  It  pauses  over  the  subjoined  letter  with  a  linger 
ing  reluctance  to  transcribe  the  last  relic  of  a  dear  a/id 
cherished  friend.  Within  three  weeks  after  it  was  penned, 
he  had  entered  into  the  Rest  to  which  he  so  touchingly 
alludes: 

"ELDERSLIE,  July  6,  18G2. 

"  MY  DARLING  WIFE  :  I  wish  you  would  write  to  me,  and  Jet  me  know 
precisely  what  day  Gillespie  will  be  in  Charlotte.  I  shall  try  to  meet 


HIS  DEATH.  519 

him  there,  if  I  should  not  be  at  Wilson's.  I  have  written  to  Dr.  Miller 
about  having  me  good  quarters  there.  If  I  cannot  get  them,  I  shall  re 
turn  home  pretty  soon.  If  I  can  get  a  good  room,  I  shall  spend  two 
weeks  there,  and  then  return.  I  am  desperately  home-sick.  I  want  to 
see  you  all  very  much  indeed.  Nothing  but  a  sense  of  duty  could  re 
concile  me  to  the  idle,  worthless  life  I  am  leading  here.  I  do  nothing 
but  lounge,  eat,  drink  mineral  water,  and  sleep.  My  thoughts  are  all 
the  time  with  the  dear  ones  in  Columbia,  particularly  with  my  wife.  I 
have  long  known  that  I  have  the  best  wife  in  the  world  ;  and  it  is  a  great 
grief  to  me  that  I  cannot  do  more  to  free  her  from  care,  -anxiety,  and 
sorrow.  I  want  to  see  you  happy.  Particularly  I  am  anxious  to  have 
servants  that  you  can  depend  on ;  and  that  will,  of  themselves,'  take 
trouble  off  your  hands.  But  our  true  rest  must  be  sought  in  another 
Voiid.  May  the  Lord  prepare  us  for  it.  *  *  *  *  ' 

"I  preached  for  Dr.  Morrison  yesterday.  McDonald  is  now  here. 
He  came  up  to  help  Anderson  at  his  communion,  at  Dallas.  I  would 
have  gone,  but  it  is  too  far ;  and  I  am  now  very  careful  about  exposing 
myself  in  the  sun. 

"We  have  not  yet  heard  the  finale  of  the  battle  at  Eichmond ;  but  we 
have  reason  to  hope  that  the  Lord  has  given  us  a  complete  victory. 
Glory  to  His  name!     Oh!  that  we  may  have  grace  to  use  it  wisely! 
*     *     *     The  Lord  bless  you,  dearest. 
"As  ever, 

J.  H.  T." 

The  arrangement  indicated  in  these  letters  was  carried 
out.  Gillespie  Thornwell,  in  company  with  his  mother, 
came  to  Charlotte  about  the  middle  of  July,  where  he 
was  met  by  his  father.  After  spending  one  day  together, 
the  young  soldier,  with  his  wound  a"s  yet  imperfectly  healed, 
returned  to  active  service  in  Virginia.  In  parting  here 
with  this  gallant  youth,  the  reader  will  more  than  pardon 
a  digression,  which  tracks  him  through  a  brief  career,  to 
the  hour  of  his  death. 

GILLESPIE  HOBBINS  THORNWELL  was  but  sixteen  years 
and  a  few  months  old,  when  the  bugle  was  first  heard  in 
Carolina,  summoning  her  sons  to  the  field.  He  was  one 
of  the  earliest  to  obey  the  signal,  and  was  in  the  ranks  on 
the  coast  when  Fort  Sumpter  was  reduced.  As  soon  as 
troops  began  to  be  massed  in  Virginia,  he  enlisted  for  the 
war  in  the  cavalry  service,  and  was,  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  in  the  Fifth  South  Carolina  Regiment,  belonirinir 

7  O  "  O         c5 

to  General  AVade  Hampton's  legion.      Born,  like  most 


520  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

Southern  boys,  on  horseback,  he  rode  like  a  Comanche- 
Indian.  Mounted  on  a  fine  steed,  with  that  recklessness 
of  bravery  which  characterizes  youth,  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  charge  against  heavy  odds.  It  was  thus  he  received  the 
sabre  wound,  of  which  mention  lias  been  made.  Gene 
rosity  is  always  a  twin  virtue  with  courage.  We  will  give 
two  illustrations  of  it.  On  his  journey  from  the  battle 
field  to  Richmond,  a  kind  lady  had  provided  him  a  mat- 
trass;  but  seeing  on  the  train  a  brother  soldier  worse 
wounded  than  himself,  he  surrendered  its  use ;  and  as  he 
sat  upright  in  his  seat,  displayed  such  power  of  will  in  the* 
endurance  of  pain,  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  others, 
and  elicit  their  praise.  The  other  instance  was  of  a  still 
nobler  type.  He  was  offered  the  lieutenancy  of  his  com 
pany,  but  another  was  anxious  to  obtain  it,  in  whose  favour 
he  declined,  saying,  "  He  is  an  only  son,  and  his  mother 
is  a  widow,  who  will  be  comforted  by  his  promotion." 
Truly,  this  exhibition  of  a  noble  nature  entitled  him  to 
his  father's  praise,  that  "he  was  a  noble  boy,"  and  showed 
that  his  father's  blood  flowed  in  his  veins. 

Exactly  one  year  after  receiving  his  first  wound,  he 
encountered  a  second,  on  the  3d  of  May,  1863,  which  was- 
fatal.  The  account  will  be  best  given  in  the  words  of 
General  Hampton,  in  communicating  the  sad  intelligence 
of  his  death:  "His  wound  was  received  in  an  attack  on  a 
regiment  of  Yankee  cavalry,  in  which  thirty  of  my  men, 
together  with  seventy  of  Major  Moseby's,  routed  and 
captured  the  whole  regiment.  But  whilst  they  were 
bringing  off  the  prisoners,  another  regiment  charged 
them,  and  succeeded  in  rescuing  the  captured  Yankees." 
This  occurred  in  a  skirmish  near  Warrenton,  Va.,  and 
the  wound  was  made  by  a  rifle  ball,  in  the  abdomen, 
a  little  above  the  hip.  He  fell,  of  course,  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy,  by  whom  he  was  kindly  cared  for,  and  sent 
to  their  hospital  at  Alexandria.  Here  he  arrived  at 
eleven  o'clock  at  night,  and  died  at  six  o'clock  the  next 
morning.  His  body  was  obtained  by  friends  in  the  place. 


HIS  DEATH.  521 

deposited  in  a  private  vault,  and  after  the  close  of  the 
war,  in  1866,  was  brought  home  and  interred  in  his 
native  soil.  In  his  whole  career  he  was  distinguished  for 
his  courage.  His  commanding  officer,  General  Hampton, 
in  a  message  of  sympathy  to  his  widowed  mother,  bears 
this  ample  testimony  :  "  Her  son  was  a  noble  and  gallant 
soldier;  and  whilst  she  cannot  but  mourn,  as  only  a  parent 
can  mourn  for  a  child,  she  can  well  draw  consolation 
from  the  knowledge,  that  he  has  fallen  whilst  sustaining 
nobly  the  sacred  cause  for  which  his  father  plead,  and  to 
which  he  had  dedicated  himself."  Thus,  when  but  eigh 
teen  and  a  half  years  old,  did  this  brave  youth  seal  with 
his  life  the  cause  he  had  two  years  before  espoused ;  and 
thus,  within  the  space  of  nine  months,  did  the  father  above 
the  stars  greet  the  son  who  had  been  the  burden  of  his 
prayers.  He  met  death,  not  only  with  firmness,  but  with 
perfect  resignation  and  composure.  Although  under  cir 
cumstances  which  cut  him  off  from  the  friends  to  whom 
he  might  have  unbosomed  himself,  the  hospital  nurse  says 
that  "he  talked  beautifully"  to  him,  saying  he  "did  not 
fear  to  die,  and  was  perfectly  willing  to  go,  only  that  he 
could  have  wished  to  see  his  mother  and  the  dear  ones  at 
home  once  more."  They  rest  in  the  sweet  assurance  that, 
through  faith  in  his  RedeemerVblood,  he  was  ready  for 
the  change. 

But  we  must  return  to  a  more  peaceful  scene,  one  of 
surpassing  solemnity,  but  one  the  sadness  of  which  is 
chased  away  by  the  light  of  Christian  triumph  and  joy. 
On  the  very  day  when  father  and  son  parted  in  Charlotte, 
Dr.  Thorn  well  took  his  bed,  from  which  he  was  lifted  only 
to  be  borne  to  his  burial.  From  the  beginning  of  the  at 
tack,  he  was  impressed  with  the  conviction  that  it  was 
his  last.  The  Rev.  John  Douglas,  a  tried  friend  of  his 
from  early  College  life,  came  to  him  at  the  first  stage.  As 
he  entered  the  room,  he  said:  "You  have  just  come  in 
time  to  see  me  die."  As  we  have  narrated,  by  what  seemed 
an  accidental  circumstance,  his  beloved  wife  was  at  his 


522  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

side.  To  her  lie  mentioned  the  pleasing  fact  that,  at 
Wilson's  Springs,  from  which  he  had  just  come  in  order 
to  meet  his  son,  though  in  some  respects  uncomfortable,  he 
had  had  a  time  of  great  spiritual  enjoyment.  He  seemed 
to  have  been  taken  there,  away  from  all  whom  he  loved, 
that  in  solitude  and  prayer  he  might  be  prepared  for  the 
coming  of  his  Lord.  For  nearly  two  weeks  he  lingered, 
being  tenderly  nursed  at  the  house  of  Mr.  William  E. 
"White,  of  Charlotte,  by  loving  friends,  who  \vould  cheer 
fully  have  saved  his  life  by  the  surrender  of  their  own; 
until,  on  the  first  day  of  August,  1862,  he  gently  fell 
asleep.  It  was  only  this;  there  was  not  a  struggle,  nor  a 
groan.  He  threw  himself  back  upon  his  pillow;  lifted  his 
right  arm  and  hand ;  it  quivered  spasmodically  for  a  few 
seconds,  and  then  dropped;  his  eye  became  fixed;  and 
with  a  few  short  breaths  his  spirit  passed  away. 

The  nature  of  his  malady  prevented  him  from  speaking 
much.  He  had  been  threatened  all  his  life  with  con 
sumption,  which  perhaps  settled  upon  a  different  organ 
from  the  lungs.  A  chronic  dysentery  had  slowly  under 
mined  his  strength,  and  the  toneless  system  had  not  power 
to  resist  the  final  assault.  The  lethargy  to  which  this 
form  of  disease  predisposes,  made  him  quiet  for  the  most 
part;  though  he  was  easily  aroused,  and  always  with  the 
full  recognition  of  those  around  his  bed.  Being  asked  if 
lie  had  any  word  to  leave  to  his  boys,  he  replied:  "Oh  ! 
they  are  the  burden  of  my  soul;  if  they  \vere  only  children 
of  God,  I  would  ask  no  more."  Being  further  pressed  to 
know  if  he  had  any  directions  to  give  concerning  them, 
he  added:  "The  same  Jesus  who  has  watched  over  me, 
can  take  care  of  them."  On  being  asked  again,  if  there 
was  anything  he  wished  done,  when  he  was  gone,  the 
triumphant  word  of  faith  came  back,  "  The  Judge  of  all 
the  earth  will  do  right." 

He  lay  much  with  his  hands  folded  across  his  breast, 
with  lips  moving  as  if  in  prayer.  Then,  at  other  times, 
there  would  fall  upon  the  ear  troubled  and  incoherent 


HIS  DEATH.  523 

utterances,  which,  when  caught,  would  reveal  his  mental 
habits.  Lifting  his  finger,  as  if  addressing  an  imaginary 
class,  he  would  say,  "Well,  you  have  stated  your  position, 
now  prove  it."  Again,  as  if  musing  upon  some  meta 
physical  theme,  he  would  articulate:  "The  attributes — 
iirst  the  moral,  then  the  intellectual,  and  thirdly,  the  reli 
gious  or  spiritual;"  reminding  one  of  the  good  Meander, 
who,  in  a  like  condition,  would  lift  himself  on  his  dying 
couch,  and  say,  "To-morrow,  young  gentleman,  we  will 
resume  our  exercitations  upon  the  sixth  chapter  of  John." 
It  is  our  loss  that  there  are  not  more  last  sayings  to  record 
of  such  a  master ;  for 

"  The  tongues  of  dying  men 
Enforce  attention,  like  deep  harmony  : 
The  setting  sun,  and  music  at  the  close, 
As  the  last  taste  of  sweets,  is  sweetest  last, 
Writ  in  remembrance  more  than  things  long  past. " 

Yet  they  are  not  needed.  Our  brother's  whole  life  was 
a  continued  chant ;  and  memory  will  preserve  its  music, 
returning  upon  us  with  ceaseless  echoes,  till  we,  too,  sleep. 
The  last  time  but  one  it  was  the  writer's  privilege  to  hear 
him  in  the  pulpit,  in  one  of  those  outbursts  of  emotion  so 
characteristic  of  his  eloquence,  he  exclaimed :  "  I  am  often 
very  weary.  Weary^with  work,  as  the  feeble  body  reels 
beneath  its  accumulated  toils;  weary  in  struggling  with 
my  own  distrustful  and  unbelieving  heart ;  weary  with  the 
wickedness  of  men,  and  with  the  effort  to  put  a  bridle 
upon  human  passions;  and  I  often  sigh  to  be  at  rest." 
Brother,  thou  hast  entered  into  rest ;  and  we  are  the  more 
weary  for  loss  of  thee  ! 

The  Holy  Spirit  placed  his  seal  upon  that  pallid  brow. 
The  partition  is  very  thin  between  the  two  worlds,  when 
we  come  to  stand  upon  the  borders  of  both  ;  and  the  beau 
tiful  light  streams  through  the  curtain  which  separates 
them,  and  throws  a  strange  radiance  upon  the  dying  be 
liever,  the  prophecy  of  a  glorious  transfiguration.  Says 
Dr.  Adger,  who  came  in  at  the  last  hour,  just  in  time  to 


524:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

catch  the  last  look  of  recognition  and  love  :  "  Delightful 
smiles  played  over  his  countenance,  as,  on  a  summer  eve 
ning,  the  harmless  lightning  plays,  with  incessant  flashes, 
upon  the  bosom  of  a  cloud."  The  last  work  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  was  being  done,  in  completing  the  saint's  likeness 
to  his  Lord;  and  that  Lord  was  speaking  with  His  servant 
face  to  face,  as  He  did  with  Moses  out  of  the  cloud.  The 
last  broken  words,  upon  which  the  departing  soul  was 
borne  into  the  bosom  of  God,  were  ejaculations  of  wonder 
and  praise :  "  Wonderful !  beautiful !  Nothing  but  Space  ! 
Expanse  !  Expanse  !  Expanse  !"  And  so  he  passed  up 
ward,  and  stood  before  the  Throne. 

"  How  glorious  now,  with  vision  purified 
At  the  Essential  Truth,  entirely  free 
From  error,  he,  investigating  still, 
From  world  to  world  at  pleasure  roves,  on  wing 
Of  golden  ray  upborne  ;  or,  at  the  feet 
Of  Heaven's  most  ancient  sages  sitting,  hears 
New  wonders  of  the  wondrous  works  of  God." 

His  remains  were  conveyed  to  Columbia,  in  a  car  spe 
cially  set  apart  by  the  kindness  of  the  President  of  the 
of  the  railroad.  The  funeral  services  were  conducted,  on, 
a  Sabbath  afternoon,  in  the  Presbyterian  church  where  he 
had  so  long  proclaimed  the  gospel  of  his  Lord,  in  the 
presence  of  an  immense  multitude,  who  had  assembled  to- 
pay  the  last  homage  to  greatness  and  to  goodness.  The 
Rev.  Dr.  John  B.  Adger,  with  difficult  utterance,  took, 
as  the  text  of  his  discourse,  the  watchword  of  his  departed 
friend,  "  Shall  not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right  ? " 
The  Rev.  Dr.  George  Howe,  his  colleague  in  the  Semi 
nary,  and  the  Rev.  F.  P.  Mullally,  who  had  been  co- 
pastor  with  him  in  the  church,  assisted  in  the  impressive 
service.  As  the  long  procession  moved  through  the 
streets  of  that  beautiful  town,  to  the  resting-place  of  the- 
dead,  the  city  bell  tolled  its  solemn  and  plaintive  notes, 
expressive  of  the  public  and  the  common  grief.  In  the 
family  enclosure  in  Elmwood  cemetery,  the  precious  dust 


HIS  DEATH.  525 

was  committed  to  the  earth,  by  the  side  of  the  loved 
uaughter,  who,  but  three  years  before,  was  laid  to  rest. 
There,  in  a  quiet  and  beautiful  spot,  by  the  banks  of  a 
soft  murmuring  stream,  the  stranger  will  find  a  solid 
block  of  pure  white  Italian  marble,  upon  whose  face  he 
will  read  only  this  inscription,  in  bold  relief, 


CHAPTER   XXXVI. 
GENERAL  REVIEW. 

His  DEATH  LAMENTED. —REVIEW  OF  His  PUBLIC  RELATIONS. — As  AN 
EDUCATOR :  His  QUALIFICATIONS  ;  His  METHODS  ;  MASTERY  OVER 
His  KNOWLEDGE  ;  COMMAND  OF  LANGUAGE  ;  PROFESSOR  OF  THEOLOGY  ; 
TEXT  BOOKS  ;  LECTURES  ;  EXAMINATIONS.  —  As  A  PHILOSOPHER 
AND  THEOLOGIAN :  EXTENT  AND  ACCURACY  OF  His  LEARNING  , 
CAUTION  AND  INDEPENDENCE  IN  SPECULATION  ;  His  PLACE  IN  PHILOS 
OPHY  ;  VALUABLE  PAPER  ON  THIS  POINT  ;  His  THEOLOGY  CALVINISTIC  ; 
SCRIPTURAL;  SYMMETRY  OF  His  VIEWS.— As  A  PREACHER:  His 
POWER  IN  ARGUMENT  AND  APPEAL  ;  EXPOSITION  ;  LOGIC  AND  EMOTION 
COMBINED  ;  His  DICTION  ;  PREACHING  ON  SPECIAL  OCCASIONS  ;  EX 
TEMPORANEOUS  ;  VIEWS  ON  THE  WHOLE  SUBJECT  IN  A  CONVERSATION  ; 
His  CRITICISM  OF  His  OWN  PERFORMANCES. —As  A  PRESBYTER  : 
PRACTICAL  WISDOM  ;  INFLUENCE  IN  CHURCH  COURTS  ;  REASONS  FOR 
IT  ;  PRINCIPLES  FIXED  ;  His  CAUTION  ;  His  PENETRATION  ;  His  Posi- 
TIVENESS  ;  His  HONESTY  ;  KNOWLEDGE  OF  CHURCH  PRINCIPLES  AND 
HISTORY. — As  A  CHRISTIAN  AND  A  MAN  :  TYPE  OF  His  RELIGIOUS 
EXPERIENCE  ;  GROWTTH  IN  PIETY  ;  TESTIMONY  TO  His  CHARACTER  ; 
His  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE  ;  His  SOCIAL  AND  MORAL  QUALITIES  ; 
His  GENERAL  BEARING  ;  His  PLAYFULNESS  AND  LOVE  OF  BADINAGE  ; 
WARMTH  OF  His  AFFECTIONS  ;  ATTACHMENT  OF  His  FRIENDS. 

DK  TIIORNWELI/S  sun  went  down  at  noon.  He 
lacked  but  four  months  and  eight  days  of  completing 
his  fiftieth  year.  His  mental  faculties  were  in  the  fulness 
of  their  vigour.  The  stores  of  knowledge,  accumulated 
through  a  life  of  severe  study,  were  ready  to  be  poured 
forth  in  systematic  form,  already  auspiciously  begun  in 
a  series  of  lectures,  intended  to  cover  the  whole  range  of 
theology.  His  Christian  character,  too,  had  become  so 
mellow  under  the  discipline  of  grace,  as  to  impart  singu 
lar  unction  to  his  writings.  They  were  not  cold  and  ab 
stract  discussions  of  truth,  but  discussions  animated  with 
the  life  of  a  most  fervent  piety.  The  influence,  which 
can  only  be  acquired  through  long  years  of  trial  and  of 

527 


528  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

trust,  was  his  to  wield  without  resistance  or  dispute.  He 
was  at  the  climax  of  his  usefulness,  and  could  ill  be 
spared  at  a  period  of  almost  pure  construction  in  Church 
and  State.  Upon  the  circle  of  admiring  friends,  which, 
indeed,  embraced  the  country,  the  intelligence  of  his 
death  fell  with  overwhelming  suddenness.  The  thought 
of  his  removal  had,  no  doubt,  often  recurred  to  those  who 
loved  him;  but  they  put  it  aside  with  that  cold  shudder 
ing  which  one  feels  when  the  shadow  of  anticipated  be 
reavement  falls  upon  the  soul.  As  he  lived  on  from  year 
to  year,  and  his  frail  body  manifested  a  recuperative 
power  that  was  unusual,  they  had  come  to  feel  that,  by 
constant  patching  and  repairing,  it  might  yet  survive  to 
a  good  old  age.  He  seemed,  also,  so  necessary  to  his 
times;  and  his  work,  as  others  had  mapped  it  out,  was 
apparently  so  unfinished,  that  perhaps  the  presumptuous 
thought  was  hid  away  in  the  heart,  that  he  must  not, 
could  not,  die.  And  when  he  fell,  they  drew  the  mantle 
over  the  head,  and  mourned  with  a  grief  which  had  no 
words. 

"Their  size  of  sorrow, 

Proportioned  to  its  cause,  must  be  as  great        9 
As  that  which  makes  it." 

The  thread  is  broken  which  has  conducted  us  from  the 
cradle  to  the  grave.  How  it  was  gathered  up  by  unseen 
hands,  and  woven  into  a  broader  and  brighter  web  above 
the  skies,  it  is  not  for  us  yet  to  know.  It  has  been  a 
privilege  full  of  sweetness  to  trace  a  life  which,  to  us, 
seems  as  beautiful  as  a  dream.  But  the  task  is  not  fin 
ished  until  we  place  the  moving  form  again  in  all  the 
offices  and  relations  which  he  sustained,  and  point  out 
the  combination  of  qualities  whick  made  him,  like  Aga 
memnon,  a  king  amongst  men. 

THE   TEACHEK. 

We  present  him  first  as  an  EDUCATOR,  in  which  relation 
he  stood  so  prominently  before  the  public.  His  unrivalled 


GENERAL  KEYIEW.  529 

•excellence  in  this  sphere  depended  mainly  upon  two 
tilings :  the  perfect  command  over  his  own  knowledge, 
and  a  definite  conception  of  the  end  to  be  accomplished. 
The  latter  determined  his  method,  which  was  the  Socratic; 
the  former  enabled  him  to  conduct  it  with  success.  The 
object  of  education,  in  his  view,  was  the  development  of 
the  intellectual  faculties,  and  the  discipline  of  these  to 
habits  of  thought.  His  first  care  was  to  study  the  mind 
of  tlfe  pupil,  to  take  its  guage,  and  to  note  its  character 
istics.  Thus  he  was  guided  in  the  process  of  develop 
ment;  checking  those  faculties  which  were  more  obtru 
sive,  stimulating  such  as  were  more  dormant,  and  bring 
ing  them  all  up  together  in  due  proportion.  He  advo 
cated  strongly  the  use  of  a  text-book;  which,  however, 
in  his  hands  was  little  more  than  the  connecting  rod  be 
tween  his  own  mind,  as  a  charged  battery,  arid  the  mind 
of  the  pupil,  to  be  aroused  by  the  electric  shock.  His 
method  was  that  of  a  critical  examination  upon  the 
author's  text,  so  shaping  his  interrogations  as  to  evolve 
the  truth  from  the  mind  of  the  student  itself.  Recita 
tion  by  rote  was  an  impossibility;  the  repetition  of  the 
text  did  not  meet  the  requisitions  of  the  class-room.  In 
terrogation  was  poured  upon  the  student's  head  like  a 
shower  of  hail,  until  he  was  driven  back  through  all  the 
steps  of  a  rigorous  analysis.  Then  he  must  frame  a  pre 
cise  statement  of  the  truth  in  hand ;  wrhilst  a  critical  logic 
stood  by,  to  cut  and  pare,  until  it  stood  before  the  eye 
with  the  utmost  sharpness  of  profile.  Finally,  the  student 
was  put  upon  his  defence  against  every  form  of  assault  to 
which  the  champion  of  truth  might  be  exposed.  If  the 
line  of  defence  was  unskilful,  the  pupil  found  himself  in 
the  toils  of  an  adversary,  who  wound  tightly  about  him  the 
meshes  in  which  he  was  involved.  Not  till  then  came 
the  hour  of  extrication.  But  at  last  there  would  follow 
lucid  exposition,  searching  analysis,  resistless  logic,  disen 
tangling  the  web,  and  probing  every  difficulty  to  the  core. 
The  class-room  was  thus  a  gymnasium,  where  the  living 


530  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

mind  was  taught  to  unfold  itself  according  to  its  own  law 
of  development,  and  work  itself  out  in  the  consciousness- 
of  knowledge,  which  is  yet  a  part  of  its  own  texture.  He 
is  a  benefactor  who  communicates  to  me  one  new  and 
grand  thought ;  but  he  is  twice  a  benefactor,  who  helps 
me  to  think  that  thought  myself.  Dr.  Thornwell  was  not 
satisfied  with  simply  communicating  knowledge,  to  be 
passively  received  by  the  pupil,  as  a  mere  impression.  In 
the  language  of  another,  lie  trained  his  students  to  "Think 
in  the  light  of  other  men's  thoughts ; "  to  take  the  sug 
gestions,  and  work  them  over  in  the  laboratory  of  their 
own  minds,  to  reproduce  them  again  with  the  stamp  of 
their  own  coinage,  and  to  systematize  them  into  form  by 
i  logic  of  their  own.  By  question  and  answer,  he  led 
them  down  beneath  the  surface  of  words,  and  even  of 
facts,  searching  for  the  principles  which  lay  beneath  the 
whole;  and  stimulated  and  aided  in  the  work  of  recon 
structing  these  again  into  harmonious  systems  of  philoso 
phy  and  science.  He  experienced  the  most  intense  de 
light  in  witnessing  these  early  efforts  of  halt-fledged  minds, 
and  was  patient  with  their  embarrassments  and  failures; 
just  as  the  eagle  watches  the  eaglets  when  thrust  out  from 
the  eyrie,  and  stoops  beneath  them,  and  bears  them  on 
her  wing,  as  they  first  try  their  weak  powers  in  the  ele 
ment  in  which  they  will  at  length  so  proudly  soar. 

But  this  method  demands  complete  mastery  of  one's 
knowledge.  In  this  Dr.  Thornwell  could  not  be  excelled. 
The  accuracy  of  his  knowledge  was  even  more  remarkable 
than  its  extent.  His  learning  was  indeed  immense,  for 
his  reading  was  discursive  and  large;  and  such  wTas  his 
power  of  concentration,  that  he  seemed  to  take  up  know 
ledge  by  absorption.  His  mind  was  under  such  control 
that,  when  closeted  with  an  author,  the  door  was  locked 
against  all  intrusive  thoughts,  and  he  digested  all  that  he 
devoured.  His  retentive  memory  held  every  acquisition 
firmly  in  its  grasp.  It  was  by  this  assimilation  that  his 
knowledge  became  so  peculiarly  his  own;  it  entered  into 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  531 

the  flesh  and  blood  and  bone  of  his  own  thinking,  part 
and  parcel  of  his  own  mental  substance.  It  could  there 
fore  be  reproduced  at  will,  fresh  and  flowing  from  a  living 
fountain.  This  enabled  him  to  present  truth  under  any 
form  level  to  the  student's  apprehension.  It  was  not 
locked  up  in  stereotyped  plates,  which  must  always  give 
one  unvarying  impression ;  but  his  thoughts  were  free  to 
be  cast  into  a  hundred  different  moulds,  suited  to  a  hun- 
dred*ditferent  minds.  Hence  his  great  facility  of  expla 
nation.  If  one  statement  of  truth  failed  to  strike,  it  was 
instantly  cast  aside  for  another  more  'dear  and  incisive. 
He  studied  subjects,  moreover,  as  subjects,  and  knew  them 
as  such.  It  was  of  little  consequence,  so  far  as  he  was 
concerned,  what  text-book  he  employed,  whether  the  mas 
terly  Analogy  of  Bishop  Butler,  or  the  defective  Philo 
sophy  of  Archdeacon  Paley :  his  own  acquaintance  with 
the  entire  subject  could  string  upon  either  what  the  com 
pass  of  its  literature  would  supply.  A  College  student, 
who  himself  stood  at  the  head  of  his  class,  once  said  to 
the  writer  :  "  Dr.  Thornwell  is  the  only  teacher  for  whose 
recitation  I  can  never  say  I  am  fully  prepared.  I  study 
Butler  until  I  can  repeat  every  word,  and  fancy  that  I  can 
answer  every  possible  question,  and  in  three  minutes  I 
stand  before  him  a  perfect  fool,  and  feel  that  I  know  no 
thing  at  all.  He  has  the  happiest  knack  of  bringing  out 
of  Butler  what  was  never  there,  except  as  he  put  it  in." 
The  teacher  knew,  the  pupil  did  not,  how  deep  those 
simple  and  suggestive  sentences  of  the  author  actually 
drew.  Only  an  equal  mind  could  take  the  soundings  of 
such  a  book.  The  constant  necessity  upon  him,  as  a 
teacher,  to  reproduce  his  knowledge,  to  think  his  own 
thoughts  aloud,  gave  him  increasing  command  over  both, 
and  of  course  greater  facility  and  precision  in  the  state 
ment  of  truth.  For  true  it  is,  in  the  words  of  the  poet, 

"No  man  is  the  lord  of  anything, 
Though  in  and  of  him  there  be  much  consisting, 
Till  he  communicate  his  part  to  others ; 


532  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

Nor  doth  he  of  himself  know  them  for  aught, 

Till  he  behold  them  formed  in  the  applause 

Where  they  're  extended ;  which,  like  an  arch,  reverberates 

The  voice  again ;  or,  like  a  gate  of  steel, 

Fronting  the  sun,  receives  and  renders  back 

His  figure  and  his  heat." 

As  Professor  of  Theology  in  the  Divinity  School  at 
Columbia,  his  methods  of  instruction  were  naturally 
somewhat  modified.  His  pupils  here  were  at  a  more  ad 
vanced  age,  and  had  generally  passed  through  the  pre 
paratory  drill  of  a  College  course.  The  object  with  them 
was  not  simply  mental  discipline,  but  intellectual  fur 
niture,  fitting  them  for  a  professional  career.  His  effort, 
however,  was  still  to  compel  the  student  to  master  what 
he  acquired,  and  to  systematize  it  as  knowledge,  by  fusing 
it  all  over  again  in  the  mould  of  his  own  thought.  His 
selection  of  a  text-book  was  typical  of  the  man  :  it  was  the 
'"  Institutes  "  of  John  Calvin.  Wonderful  association  of 
names !  drawn  together  by  an  affinity  so  close,  that,  with 
the  men  transposed,  the  Calvin  three  centuries  back  might 
have  been  the  Thornwell  of  to-day,  and  the  Thornwell  of 
yesterday  might  equally  have  been  the  Calvin  of  the  Re 
formation.  The  same  profound  learning,  free  from  the 
pedantry  of  display;  the  same  logical  acumen,  resolving 
the  most  intricate  problems ;  the  same  massive  intellect, 
striking  out  thoughts  capable  of  endless  exposition;  the 
same  "honesty  of  reason"  in. the  investigation  of  truth, 
and  the  same  passionate  love,  which  made  both  wor 
shippers  at  her  shrine;  the  same  Herculean  industry, 
which  sported  with  labour,  and  found  refreshment  in  toils 
by  which  others  were  exhausted ;  the  same  practical  judg 
ment,  whose  foresight  was  almost  akin  to  prophecy;  the 
same  simplicity  of  character,  which  preserved  the  fresh 
ness  of  youth  in  the  maturity  of  age ;  the  same  fearlessness 
of  soul,  which  shrank  neither  from  reproach  nor  peril  in 
the  pursuit  of  right;  the  same  guileless  sincerity,  which 
never  understood  finesse,  nor  worked  by  indirection :  all 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  533 

these,  and  other  traits,  run  the  parallel  so  close  between 
the  two,  that,  standing  three  centuries  apart,  they  seem 
born  twins.  Nay,  the  resemblance  is  preserved  in  things 
we  would  call  accidental.  The  same  early  maturity  of 
mind,  which  enabled  the  one,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  to 
dedicate  his  "Institutes"  to  the  French  King,  and  placed 
the  other,  at  the  same  age,  in  the  Chair  of  Philosophy; 
the  possession  by  both  of  a  frail  body,  which  scarcely  con 
tained  the  indwelling  spirit,  beating  against  its  sides  with 
every  movement  of  its  own  activity,  and  threatening  to 
batter  down  the  walls  of  its  feeble  prison ;  and  finally,  the 
coincidence  of  their  death  at  nearly  the  same  age,  closing 
a  long  lile  while  it  was  yet  high  noon  with  both :  these 
are  points  of  resemblance  which,  however  casual,  one  is 
prompted  to  observe. 

Nor  is  it  strange  that  the  theologian  of  the  nineteenth 

O  O 

century  should  go  back  to  the  the.ologian  of  the  sixteenth, 
to  find  a  master  for  his  pupils.  He  who  had  dug  the 
truth  for  himself  from  the  quarry  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
from  the  symbols  of  the  Church,  wrould  naturally  carry  his 
pupils  up  the  stream  of  theological  tradition,  to  the  very 
spot  where  it  broke  out  afresh  from  the  earth.  Like  the 
fabled  river  of  Africa,  systematic  theology  had,  for  ages, 
buried  its  channel  beneath  the  superstitions  and  errors  of 
Popery ;  and,  as  at  the  foot  of  a  great  mountain,  it 
emerged  anew  at  the  period  of  the  Reformation.  Pre 
cisely  here  the  waters  would  be  found  the  purest,  except 
as  he  might  carry  them  higher  still,  to  the  original  foun 
tain,  and  cause  them  to  drink  from  the  oracles  of  God; 
but  as  a  human  aid  in  constructing  an  articulate  system 
of  doctrine,  he  found  no  master  equal  to  the  great 
theologian  of  the  Reformation.  John  Calvin  stands 
in  the  same  relation  to  Protestant  theology,  as  Francis 
Bacon  to  modern  philosophy.  Each  was  a  constructor 
in  his  own  sphere,  and  each  put  the  stamp  of  his  own 
thought  upon  the  science  of  after  times.  Dr.  Thorn 
well  admired  Calvin  for  his  clearness  and  precision,  for 


534:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

the  compactness  and  order  of  his  arrangement,  and,  above 
all,  for  his  superior  wisdom  in  founding  his  opinions  upon 
the  express  declarations  of  Scripture,  rather  than  upon 
the  shifting  speculations  of  human  philosophy.  He 
al  ways  kindled  with  enthusiasm,  whilst  dwelling  upon  the 
merits  of  this  great  thinker  of  the  past.  One  of  his 
pupils  speaks  thus  of  his  introductory  lecture  to  the  In 
stitutes,  when  the  class  was  entering  upon  its  study :  "  I 
remember  well  the  account  he  gave  of  his  visit  to  Calvin's 
grave,  and  of  his  musings  upon  the  moulding  influence 
of  the  mighty  Reformer  upon  theological  thought ;  and 
the  statement  of  his  conviction,  that  the  emergencies  of 
the  conflict  with  nationalistic  infidelity  were  now  forcing 
the  whole  Church  more  and  more  to  occupy  Calvin's 
ground.  His  pale  face  alternated  with  flushes  of  red 
and  white,  as  he  was  speaking,  an'd  his  eye  dilated  until 
it  seemed  almost  supernaturally  large  and  luminous. 
Deeply  moved  myself,  and  fired  with  an  enthusiasm  for 
Calvin,  which  I  hope  never  to  lose,  I  turned  a  moment's 
glance  to  find  the  class  spell-bound  by  the  burst  of  elo 
quence  and  feeling." 

The  description  is  appropriate  just  here  of  his  course 
of  proceeding,  furnished  by  another  pupil :  "  When  a 
class  was  about  to  begin  a  new  study,  he  would  introduce 
it  with  a  general  lecture,  clearing  away  the  ground,  dis 
tinctly  indicating  the  end  to  be  attained,  and  directing  to 
all  available  sources  of  information ;  after  which,  all  must 
go  to  work,  under  the  guidance  and  supervision  of  the 
great  master.  Each  student  had  to  descend  into  the 
quarry,  and  select,  dig  'out,  hew,  cut,  carve,  and  polish 
his  own  stones ;  and  then  each  had  to  lay  his  own  foun 
dations,  and  build  his  own  edifice.  Over  the  work  of 
all,  Dr.  Thorn  well  presided  as  the  chief  architect,  trying 
every  man's  work  writh  the  plummet  and  square  of  his 
own  logic,  approving  the  materials  which  were  good  and 
true,  and  condemning  the  faulty  and  imperfect.  Then 
he  would  erect  his  own  structure,  rising  in  the  symmetry 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  535 

of  its  proportions,  and  in  the  strength  of  its  logical  com 
pactness,  like  a  magnificent  Gothic  temple,  full  of  order 
and  beauty."  After  the  text  of  the  author  was  mastered, 
he  gave  out  "  a  series  of  written  questions,  which  were 
made  the  basis  of  a  subsequent  examination.  Each  reci 
tation  opened  with  a  resume*  of  the  last;  every  step  was 
taken  in  the  way  of  development,  from  facts  and  princi 
ples  already  settled;  and  thus  the. whole  grew  into  the 
beauty,  and  was  consolidated  into  the  strength  of  a  logical 
system."  Such  was  his  mode,  whether  the  text-book  was 
the  Institutes  of  Calvin  or  the  Confession  of  Faith, 
which  was  critically  studied  chapter  by  chapter,  or  his 
own  lectures,  elaborately  prepared  and  carefully  pro 
nounced.  In  all  these  severe  interrogations  he  was  yet 
genial  and  winning  to  the  last  degree.  Tolerant  of  the 
opinions  of  others,  he  encouraged  the  freest  and  freshest 
utterances  of  his  pupils,  "  drawing  them  out,  until,  detect 
ing  the  tangle  in  their  thoughts,  he  would  put  in  his  finger 
and  extricate  the  thread."  Such  is  the  language  in  which 
he  is  uniformly  described  by  his  students  in  the  class 
room.  In  private,  he  was  singularly  accessible;  laying 
down  his  own  studies  to  listen  to  their  perplexities ;  dis 
robing  himself  of  all  magisterial  authority,  and  addressing 
them  as  his  brethren,  he  won  them,  by  his  grace  and  con 
descension,  as  much  as  he  impressed  them  with  his  wisdom 
and  genius.  No  instructor  was  ever  more  highly  rever 
enced,  or  more  truly  beloved;  and  that,  too,  exactly  in 
proportion  to  the  student's  own  ability  to  appreciate  his 
merit,  and  to  profit  by  his  methods. 

THE  PHILOSOPHER  AND  THEOLOGIAN. 
.  We  shall  be  pardoned  for  combining  next  the  PHILOS 
OPHER  and  the  THEOLOGIAN;  not  only  because  of  the 
natural  affinity  between  the  two,  but  because  of  their  ac 
tual  conjunction  in  the  history  and  labours  of  Dr.  Thorn- 
well.  In  them  we  have  the  ripest  fruits  of  his  genius; 
.and  upon  these  two  pillars  the  whole  of  his  future  fame 


536  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

must  rest.  As  we  have  seen,  Ins  mind  was  early  biased 
towards  philosophy.  It  probably  would  have  been  de 
termined  in  this  direction  by  its  inherent  proclivity. 
"His  passion/'  says  another,  "was  for  speculation.  He 
revelled  in  abstract  thought,  and  soared  with  delight 
even  to  the  utmost  verge  of  the  knowable  and  thinkable 
in  the  world  of  mind.  His  spirit  craved  communion 
with  the  Infinite,  and 

"  'Kode  sublime 

Upon  the  seraph's  wings  of  ecstasy, 
The  secrets  of  the  abyss  to  spy.'  " 

One  was,  first  of  all,  amazed  at  the  extent  of  his  philo 
sophical  learning.  His  references  to  the  Greek  philoso 
phers,  both  in  his  writings  and  in  familiar  conversation, 
indicated  a  minute  acquaintance  with  them  in  their  ori 
ginal  sources;  not  only  in  the  critics  and  historians  whom 
he  diligently  consulted,  but  in  their  own  productions  in 
their  own  language.  Particularly  was  this  the  case  with 
Plato  and  Aristotle,  whom,  after  Sir  William  Hamilton, 
lie  was  accustomed  to  describe  as  "the  opposite  poles  of 
human  thought,  between  which  speculation  has  continued 
ever  since  to  oscillate."  The  best  editions  of  their  works, 
handsomely  bound,  were  among  the  most  prized  treasures 
of  his  library;  and  the  group  of  scholars  who  sometimes 
pored  with  him  over  the  pages  of  the  Phsedo,  knew  not 
which  most  to  admire,  the  exquisite  finish  of  his  trans 
lation,  or  his  philosophic  commentary  upon  the  text.  As 
an  illustration  of  the  accuracy  of  his  knowledge  in  this- 
department,  and  of  the  readiness  with  which  he  employed 
it,  we  mention  an  incident  too  pleasant  to  be  omitted. 
At  a  dinner-party  given  him  in  New  York,  at  which 
were  present  Mr.  Bancroft,  the  historian,  and  other  gen 
tlemen  of  literary  distinction,  the  conversation  turned 
upon  some  principle  maintained  by  Aristotle.  Dr. 
Thornwell  contended  that  all  the  commentators  had  mis 
understood  his  meaning.  Issue  was  taken  on  this  point, 
and  an  animated  discussion  ensued,  which  resulted  in  his 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  537 

bringing  the  entire  party  over  to  his  construction  of  the 
case.  The  interview  was  signalized  by  his  receiving, 
BOOH  after  his  return  home,  from  the  hands  of  Mr.  Ban 
croft,  a  splendid  copy  of  Aristotle,  with  a  Latin  inscrip 
tion  on  the  fly-leaf,  in  the  handwriting  of  the  giver,  indi 
cating  it  as  "a  testimonial  of  regard  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
J.  II.  Thornwell,  the  most  learned  of  the  learned." 

With  the  mediaeval  scholastics  his  familiarity  was 
equally  great.  Thomas  Aquinas  was  frequently  quoted, 
and  even  the  ponderous  tomes  of  Suarez  had  been  keenly 
scrutinized.  Says  one  of  his  pupils,  "  I  remember  com 
ing  upon  him  once,  when  the  floor  of  his  study  was  cov 
ered  with  the  volumes  of  Saurez,  as  he  was  following  the 
Jesuit's  subtle  reasoning  upon  some  point  in  morals." 
The  modern  philosophy  had,  of  course,  passed  under  re 
view  in  its  original  sources.  The  chief  masters,  Bacon, 
DCS  Cartes,  Locke,  Leibnitz,  the  Scottish  School  at  home 
and  in  France,  Kant  and  his  disciples,  Fichte,  Schelling, 
and  Hegal,  were  his  daily  companions.  With  the  de 
partment  of  Logic  he  was  particularly  at  home.  Indeed, 
his  familiarity  with  its  formulas  tempted  him,  perhaps, 
too  often  to  employ  them,  for  the  sake  of  precision,  in 
his  popular  writings,  and  rendered  them  sometimes  a 
trifle  too  technical  for  the  ordinary  reader.  His  collec 
tion  of  treatises  on  Logic  certainly  justified  his  playful 
allusions,  in  the  discussion  with  Dr.  Hodge,  on  the  floor 
of  the  Assembly  at  Rochester,  to  the  treasures  which  his 
library  contained  in  the  literature  of  this  topic. 

In  confirmation  of  these  statements,  as  to  his  thorough 
mastery  of  philosophy,  in  its  literature  as  well  as  in  its 
principles,  we  may  narrate  an  incident.  The  writer  hap 
pened  one  day  to  be  in  his  study;  and  taking  up  casually 
a  volume  of  Cousin,  lying  upon  the  table,  read  from  it  a 
passage,  which  opened  the  way  to  a  discussion  upon  some 
point  in  philosophy.  Dr.  Thornwell  had  just  come  in 
from  a  recitation  with  his  class,  and  his  mind  was  finely 
strung.  Commencing  with  the  rise  of  philosophy  in  the 


538  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

seven  sages  of  Greece,  lie  traced  its  history  through  to 
the  present  hour;  distinguishing  betwixt  the  different 
Greek  schools,  and  showing  the  principle  by  which  each 
was  characterized,  he  passed  regularly  on  through  the 
middle  ages.  Beginning  again  with  modern  philosophy, 
he  took  up  all  the  schools  into  which  it  is  divided,  and 
pointed  out  every  shade  of  opinion  which  had  been  ad 
vanced  in  each.  The  discourse  moved  on  with  an  equable 
flow  for  two  hours,  interrupted  only  by  the  whiffs  of  a  fra 
grant  Havanna,  abounding  in  the  sharpest  discrimination, 
illuminated  often  with  beautiful  illustrations,  sometimes 
rising  into  eloquence,  and  couched,  from  beginning  to  end, 
in  diction  the  most  eloquent  and  sustained.  His  solitary 
hearer  sat  listening  to  this  extemporaneous  harangue, 
wondering  all  the  while  whether,  if  it  had  been  an  elabo 
rate  essay  prepared  for  a  congress  of  savans,  it  could  be 
•exceeded  in  the  fulness  of  its  detail,  the  precision  and 
.subtlety  of  its  distinctions,  or  in  the  beauty  and  force  of 
its  delivery.  It  was  a  wonderful  proof,  not  only  of  his 
complete  possession  of  the  subject,  but  also  of  the  extent 
to  which  his  inspiration  was  derived  from  the  theme  it 
self,  and  not  from  the  occasion  which  might  draw  him 
out.  For,  however  he  might  be  stimulated  by  the  pre 
sence  of  a  fit  audience — and,  like  a  true  orator,  no  man 
•ever  felt  this  influence  more — he  soon  fell  back  upon  the 
topic  of  his  discourse,  and  drew  his  enthusiasm  thence. 

The  traits  which  specially  characterized  his  own  spec 
ulations  were  modesty  and  independence.  His  first  effort 
was  to  mark  the  boundaries  of  reason,  within  whose  limits 
he  thought  with  all  the  vigour  and  self-reliance  of  a  mind 
conscious  of  its  OWTII  powers,  but  beyond  which  he  never 
permitted  himself  to  pass.  He  was  thus  protected  from 
that  presumptuous  rationalism  which  so  much  disfigures 
the  thinking  of  modern  Germany ;  and  uttered  his  frequent 
protest  against  "  the  rampant  ontologists  who  attempt  to 
unfold  the  grounds  of  universal  being  from  the  principles 
.  of  pure  reason.''  His  mind  was  too  positive  in.  its  tone 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  539 

to  rest  on  theories,  however  splendid,  without  a  solid 
basis  on  which  to  build  them.  It  was  not  content  with 
beating  the  air  with  its  wings,  however  high  it  might 
soar;  nor  did  lie  ever  mistake  the  fantastic  scenery  of  the 
clouds  for  the  mountain  landscape  of  which  he  was  in 
search.  Taking  his  departure  from  the  English  and  Scotch 
schools,  that  all  our  knowledge  begins  in  experience,  he 
concurred  with  them  in  the  doctrine  of  fundamental  be 
liefs  as  necessary  to  it,  and  by  which  alone  it  is  made 
available.  He  thus  struck  a  middle  course  between  the 
doctrine  which  makes  the  mind  simply  a  passive  recipient 
of  impressions,  and  the  antagonistic  view,  which  finds  in 
the  mind  itself  the  data  of  all  knowledge,  "of  which  uni 
versal  and  all-comprehensive  principles  the  reason  is  held 
to  be  the  complement.".  He  was  able  thus  to  steer  betwixt 
the  Scylla  and  Charybdis  of  philosophy ;  between  the  Athe 
istic  Materialism  of  the  French  Encyclopaedists  on  the  one 
hand,  and  the  Pantheistic  audacity  of  the  German  Ration 
alists  on  the  other.  His  consistent  and  intelligible  doc 
trine  was  that,  while  knowledge  begins  in  experience,  yet 
"  experience  must  include  conditions  in  the  subject  which 
make  it  capable  of  intelligence."  "  There  must  be,"  he 
says,  "a  constitution  of  mind  adapted  to  that  specific 
activity  by  which  it  believes  and  judges."  The  mind  is 
therefore  "subjected  to  laws  of  belief  under  which  it 
must  necessarily  act" — "certain  primary  truths  involved 
in  its  very  structure."  As,  "undeveloped  in  experience, 
these  do  not  exist  in  the  form  of  propositions  or  general 
conceptions,  but  irresistible  tendencies  to  certain  manners 
of  belief,  when  the  proper  occasions  shall  be  afforded." 
But  when  "  developed  in  experience,  and  generalized  into 
abstract  statements,  they  are  original  and  elementary  cog 
nitions,  the  foundation  and  criterion  of  all  knowledge." 
While,  however,  "  the  laws  of  belief  qualify  the  subject  to 
know,  they  cannot  give  the  things  to  be  known.  These 
are  furnished  in  experience;  which  thus  not  only  affords 
the  occasions  on  which  onr  primitive  cognitions  are  de- 


54:0  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

veloped,  but  also  the  objects  about  which  our  faculties- 
are  conversant."  Starting  from  these  principles,  which 
we  have  given  in  his  own  language,  it  is  easy  to  see  that 
the  same  reform  is  carried  into  mental  philosophy,  which 
long  since  has  been  achieved  in  the  natural  or  physical. 
The  knowledge  acquired  is  real  knowledge,  because  it  is 
confined  to  attributes  and  properties  level  to  our  appre 
hension,  capable  of  being  gathered  by  observation,  and  of 
being  generalized  by  induction.  The  mind,  instead  of 
being  lost  in  speculations  which  transcend  its  limits,  set 
tles  with  confidence  upon  truths  which  it  is  able  con 
stantly  to  verify.  Feeling  the  ground  beneath  his  feet 
at  every  step,  Dr.  ThornwTell  speculated  safely.  With 
fixed  principles  for  his  guidance,  he  wrought  within  this 
broad  field  of  observation  and  induction,  in  the  language 
of  one  who  has  described  him,  with  "an  acuteness  of 
mind  that  was  marvellous,  with  a  quickness  of  appre 
hension  and  rapidity  of  thought  never  surpassed,  and 
with  a  power  of  analysis  which,  as  if  by  the  touch  of  the 
magician,  resolved  the  most  complex  objects  into  its 
simple  elements." 

As  a  thinker  he  was  as  independent  as  he  was  cautious. 
He  bound  himself  to  no  school,  and  became  the  partisan 
of  no  master.  Nor  was  he  simply  an  eclectic,  ranging 
through  all  schools,  gathering  up  shreds  of  doctrine,  and* 
piecing  them  together  as  a  parti-coloured  robe.  He  ex 
ercised  his  own  judgment  upon  the  greatest  questions; 
availing  himself  freely  of  other  men's  thoughts,  but  only 
to  stimulate  and  direct  his  own,  and  pushing  forward' 
himself  nearer  to  the  ultimate  goal.  As  expressed  by  a 
friend,  who  writes  of  him  :  "  The  furnace  heat  of  his  own; 
mind  subjected  everything,  without  fear  or  favour,  to  its 
own  crucible."  "Alas!"  writes  another,  "that  death 
should  have  taken  him  away  just  at  the  productive  pe 
riod  !  The  Aqua  Eegia  had  dissolved  the  golden  trea 
sures  of  speculative  theology  and  philosophy;  but  the 
crystals  seemed  to  separate  painfully  and  slowly  from  the 


GENERAL  REVIEW. 

powerful  reactions  that  kept  the  mass  in  constant  agi 
tation.  The  world  will  never  know  what  he  was  by  what 
survives  from  the  grave  ! " 

We  append  here  a  valuable  paper,  prepared,  at  the 
writer's  request,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  L.  Girardeau,  of 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  which  indicates,  with  great 
clearness  and  ability,  the  place  which  Dr.  Thornwell  oc 
cupied  in  philosophy : 

"You  insist  that  I  shall  give  you  my  conception  of  the  place  which 
Dr.  Thornwell  occupied  in  philosophy. 

"  1.  It  is  not  difficult  to  fix  his  general  position.  He  emphatically 
belonged  to  that  class  of  thinkers  who  advocate  what  is  known  as  the 
Philosophy  of  Common  Sense,  in  contradistinction  from  the  class  whom 
he  designates  as  Sensationalists.  As  both  these  classes  hold  that  the 
materials  of  knowledge  are  in  part  derived  from  contact  with  the  external 
world  through  sensation,  they  are  distinguished  from  each  other  by  the 
affirmation  or  denial  of  the  existence  of  certain  primary  intuitions,  of 
fundamental  laws  of  belief,  implicitly  contained  in  the  constitution  of  the 
mind,  which,  brought  into  contact  with  the  materials  derived  from  the 
external  world,  enable  us  to  know.  These  the  Sensationalists  denied, 
the  other  class  affirm.  As  Dr.  Thornwell  steadily  contended  for  them, 
he  must,  of  course,  be  assigned  a  place-  among  the  advocates  of  the 
Philosophy  of  Common  Sense,  as  discriminated  from  either  the  pure, 
or  the  moderate,  Sensationalists.  So  far  as  the  origin  of  knowledge  is 
concerned,  he  was  no  more  a  disciple  of  Locke,  moderate  as  he  was,  than 
of  Coudillac  and  the  French  Encyclopaedists,  who  pushed  the  principles 
of  Locke  to  an  extreme  which  he  would  have  disavowed.  He  had  a  pro 
found  respect  for  the  great  English  philosopher,  and  followed  him  up  to 
the  point  at  which  the  principles  of  the  Common  Sense  Philosophy  com 
pelled  a  departure  from  him.  At  that  point  he  ceased  to  be  a  disciple, 
and  became  an  antagonist. 

"2.  In  so  far  as  Dr.  Thornwell  maintained  the  principles  of  the  Common 
Sense  Philosophy,  in  opposition  to  the  Sensationalists,  he  is  in  alliance 
with  the  Absolute  Ontologists  of  Germany  and  France.  How  is  he  to  be 
distinguished  from  them  ?  He  himself  answers  the  question.  He  divides 
the  class  of  Common  Sense  Philosophers  into  two  schools :  that  of  the 
Rationalists,  who  not  only  make  the  fundamental  laws  of  belief  inde 
pendent  of  experience  for  existence,  but  also  for  development;  and 
that  of  those  philosophers  who,  admitting  that  these  primary  princi 
ples  are  independent  of  experience  for  their  existence,  ground  their 
development  in  experience  alone.  This  latter  school  he  designates  as 
the  School  of  Experience.  He  definitely  claimed  to  belong  to  this 
school.  He  utterly  repudiates  the  view  of  the  Rationalists,  who 
evolved  from  these  fundamental  laws  of  belief  a  Philosophy  of  the 


542  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

Absolute  and  Unconditioned.  He  maintained  that  these  laws  would  lio 
dormant  and  inoperative,  were  they  not  developed  by  the  occasions 
which  are  furnished  in  experience.  But  Kant,  who,  in  his  advocacy 
of  the  ideas  of  pure  reason,  so  far  made  common  cause  with  the  Ra 
tionalists  in  their  opposition  to  Sensationalism,  utterly  opposed  their 
ontological  speculations.  Dr.  Thornwell,  however,  was  not  a  disciple 
of  Kant  in  reference  to  the  office  discharged  by  the  fundamental  laws 
of  belief.  Kant  was  a  pure  subjectivist.  The  certainty  of  existence  for 
which  he  contended  was  altogether  subjective.  The  Scottish  school, 
on  the  other  hand,  found  in  the  fundamental  laws  of  belief  vouchers 
and  guarantees  for  the  real  existence  of  the  'external  world;  they 
grounded  the  objective  certainty  of  knowledge  in  the  subjective  neces 
sity  of  believing.  This  was  Dr.  ThornwelPs  position.  You  are  correct, 
therefore,  in  assigning  him,  in  the  main,  to  the  Scotch  School  of  Phi 
losophy.  He  must  be  regarded  as  belonging  to  that  section  01  the 
great  School  of  Experience,  which  was  represented  by  the  Scotch  meta 
physicians,  especially  as  it  was  expounded  and  corrected  by  the  profound 
analysis  of -Sir  William  Hamilton.  There  are  several  considerations 
which  will  vindicate  this  assignment  of  Dr.  Thornw ell's  place  : 

"  1.  That  he  thoroughly  agreed  with  the  Scotch  School,  in  their  doc 
trine  as  to  the  office  of  the  fundamental  beliefs  and  original  concepts 
which  lie  imbedded  in  our  mental  constitution,  is  evident  from,  tho 
whole  analogy  of  his  expressed  opinions,  and  from  the  special  appro 
bation  which  he  pronounces  upon  '  Dugald  Stewart's  account  of  the  re 
lation  of  our  primary  beliefs  to  human  knowledge. ' 

"2.  He  definitely  accepted  the  doctrine  of  the  immediacy  of  our  per 
ception  of  the  external  world,  the  enouncement  of  which,  it  is  con 
ceded,  was  first  clearly  made  by  Eeid,  and  imparted  to  him  and  tho 
philosophers  who  followed  him  their  undisputed  title  to  be  considered 
an  original  and  distinctive  school  of  philosophical  thought.  He  not 
only  sympathized  with  this  school  in  the  explicit  rejection  of  both  tho 
extremes — pure  materialism  and  pure  idealism, — but  also  in  the  aban 
donment  of  the  hypothesis  which  had  so  long  been  held  by  the  great 
majority  of  philosophers,  that  in  external  perception,  a  representative 
image — a  vicarious  mental  modification — mediates  between  the  external 
object  and  the  percipient  mind.  He  was,  therefore,  not  even  a  hypo 
thetical  realist  or  (as  that  class  of  thinkers  is  sometimes  termed)  cosmo- 
thetic  idealist.  But 

"3.  He  was,  like  the  great  masters  of  the  Scottish  School,  very  clearly  a 
natural  realist.  Whatever  may  be  thought  as  to  the  question,  whether  Eeid 
was  one  or  not — and  those  who  best  knew  his  system  decide  that  ho 
was — it  is  certain  that  Sir  W.  Hamilton,  who  was  a  pronounced  ad 
vocate  of  natural  realism,  assigned  the  maintenance  of  it  to  the  school 
of  Eeid.  And  Dr.  Thornwell  was  at  one  with  it  and  Sir  W.  Hamilton, 
in  holding  that,  in  the  same  concrete  act  of  consciousness,  there  is  an 
affirmation  alike  of  the  real  existence  of  the  Ego,  and  the  real  existence 
of  the  external  world — different,  and  yet  inseparably  related. 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  543 

"-{.  He  was  thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  Hamilton  in  vindicating 
the  great  distinction  between  presentative  and  representative  knowledge. 
He  seems  to  agree  with  Hamilton  in  rejecting  the  doctrine  of  Reid,  that 
while  we  are  immediately  percipient  of  the  external  world,  we  are  not, 
in  external  perception,  conscious  of  it.  He  held,  with  Hamilton,  that, 
in  cases  of  immediate  knowledge,  we  ore  conscious  of  the  object  known, 
as  well  as  of  the  act  of  knowing.  And  so  he  appears  to  agree  with  the 
same  philosopher  in  maintaining  that,  in  cases  of  mediate  knowledge , 
we  are  conscious  only  of  the  mediating  image  which  is  immediately 
givea,  and  not  of  the  distant  object,  or  past  event,  which  is  mediately 
given.  To  these  special  views  he  was  probably  led  by  his  sympathy 
with  Hamilton,  and  his  opposition  to  Reid,  touching  the  nature  of  con 
sciousness.  Reid  held  that  it  is  a  special  faculty,  co-ordinate  with  the 
other  particular  faculties.  With  Hamilton,  Dr.  Thornwell  regarded  con 
sciousness  as  the  generic  condition  of  the  exercise  of  all  the  faculties, 
the  fundamental  form  of  all  knowledge.  In  this  agreement  with  Hamil 
ton,  he  differed  from  Reid,  Dugald  Stewart,  and  Royer-Collard. 

"  5.  He  was  very  strenuous  in  maintaining,  with  Hamilton,  the  doc 
trine  that  all  human  knowledge  is  phenomenal  and  relative.  He  held, 
with  him,  that  substance  is,  in  itself,  unknowable ;  that  what  we  know 
is  the  phenomenal  manifestation — the  attribute  or  properties  of  sub 
stance  ;  but  that,  at  the  same  time,  knowing  these,  we  are  impelled  by  a 
necessary  law  of  our  mental  constitution  to  affirm  the  existence  of  the 
substance  in  which  they  inhere,  and  of  which  they  are  the  manifestation. 
It  must  be  confessed  that  sometimes,  in  his  lectures  on  theology,  Dr. 
Thornwell  appears  to  deviate  from  this  position.  He  rejects  the  absolute 
incognoscibility  of  the  Infinite,  which  he  attributes  to  Hamilton.  What 
Hamilton  held  was,  that  we  cannot  conceive  the  Infinite  by  an  act  of  the 
thinking  faculty — we  cannot  cognize  it ;  but  we  are  impelled  to  believe  it, 
by  an  act  of  immediate  inference.  We  do  not  know  it  because  we  conceive 
it ;  we  know  it  because  we  believe  it.  At  times  Dr.  Thornwell  seems  to 
affirm  the  Infinite  as  a  positive  datum  of  thought.  But  when  his  lan 
guage  is  sifted,  he  appears  to  hold  at  bottom  that  a  fundamental  belief 
is  the  guarantee  of  our  knowledge  of  the  Infinite.  Dr.  Thornwell  does 
not  deny  .Hamilton's  faith  as  the  ground  of  our  knowledge  of  the  In 
finite  ;  Hamilton  does  not  deny  Dr.  Thornwell's  immediate  inference  by 
intelligence  from  that  primary  belief  that  the  Infinite  exists.  That  in 
which  they  seemed  most  to  differ  was  the  mode  in  which  this  inference 
is  necessitated.  Hamilton  found  it  in  the  impotence  of  the  mind  to 
think  an  absolute  commencement ;  Thornwell,  in  a  positive  necessity  of 
the  mind  to  think  a  First  Cause,  self-existent  and  necessary.  [I  am  dis 
posed  to  think  that  in  the  last  analysis  their  difference  is  more  apparent 
than  real.] 

"  6.  Dr.  Thornwell  held  with  the  Scotch  School,  in  their  great  postulate 
that  metaphysical  inquiry  be  limited  to  the  facts  of  consciousness,  and 
that  these  should  be  rigidly  investigated  according  to  the  demands  of 
the  Inductive  Philosophy.  So  far  he  was  in  accord  with  them ;  he  re- 


544  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

jected  utterly  the  methods  of  the  transcendental  Rationalists.  But  given 
the  facts  of  consciousness,  he  was  prepared  to  evolve  from  them  all  that 
could  be  legitimately  inferred.  He  was  therefore  a  moderate  Ontologist, 
with  Hamilton  and  Mansell ;  and  intimated  his  dislike  of  the  restrictive 
psychological  method  by  which  some  of  the  earlier  Scotch  metaphysicians 
excluded  the  consideration  of  all  ontological  questions.  While  closely 
adhering  to  the  maxims  of  the  School  of  Experience,  he  allowed  himself 
liberty,  when  the  fundamental  laws  of  belief  are  elicited  into  formal  cog 
nitions,  to  assume  them  as  data  upon  which  to  ground  legitimate  specu 
lation  in  regard  to  our  relation  to  the  universe  of  God ;  always,  however, 
checking  the  progress  of  speculation  by  the  admitted  principle  of  the 
phenonieuality  and  relativity  of  human  knowledge. 

"  7.  With  Hamilton,  he  rejected  the  distribution  of  the  Kantians,  who 
distinguished  between  the  understanding  and  the  pure  reason,  and 
make  the  latter  the  seat  of  transcendental  ideas.  The  primary  truths, 
fundamental  beliefs,  for  which  the  school  to  which  he  belonged  con 
tended,  he  assigned,  with  Hamilton,  to  the  understanding.  Reason  and 
the  understanding  they  regarded  as  the  same  faculty,  while  they  may 
have  admitted  that  the  terms  may  sometimes  be  employed  to  emphasize 
distinctive  special  operations  of  the  same  general  faculty.  At  the  same 
time,  with  Hamilton,  he  admits  the  Kantian  doctrine  that  space  and 
time  are  native  conceptions  of  the  mind,  and,  as  such,  conditions  of  all 
.thinking,  as  to  the  space  and  time  properties  of  matter,  and  not  gene 
ralization  from  experience. 

"  The  point  in  which  Dr.  Thornwell  seemed  most  seriously  to  differ 
with  Hamilton,  was  that  at  which  philosophy  and  theology  sit  together  to 
investigate  the  question  of  Divine  providence.  Hamilton  affirmed  that 
there  is  no  conceivable  medium  between  fatalism  and  chance ;  Dr. 
Thornwell  denied.  The  latter  enumerates,  three  hypotheses:  '  That  of 
the  Casualist,  who  asserts  an  absolute  commencement ;  that  of  the  Fatal 
ist,  who  asserts  an  infinite  series  of  relative  commencements ;  that  of  the 
Theist,  who  asserts  a  finite  series  of  relative  commencements,  carried  up 
in  the  ascending  scale  to  a  necessary  Being,  at  once  Creator  and  Pre 
server.'  He  held  that  the  extremes  of  casualisrn  and  fatalism  are  not 
only  inconceivable,  but  that  they  are  self-contradictatory,  and,  there 
fore,  false.  The  hypothesis  of  theism  he  conceded  to  be  also  inconceiv 
able,  but  he  maintained  that  it  is  not  self -contradictory,  and  that,  upon 
the  principle  of  excluded  middle,  it  must  be  true. 

"It  is  obvious,  from  what  has  been  adduced  of  his  views,  that  Dr. 
Thornwell  affiliated  more  closely  with  Sir  William  Hamilton  than  with 
.any  other  representative  philosopher.  At  the  same  time,  he  was  not  a 
partisan,  who  felt  bound  to  fight  for  Hamilton's  views,  as  he  was  not 
altogether  a  debtor,  who  felt  bound  to  acknowledge  to  his  teachings  his 
.obligations  for  his  philosophical  doctrines.  There  were  certain  great  dis 
tinctions  which  were  signalized  by  Hamilton,  which  Dr.  Thornwell  ex 
pressly,  though  modestly,  claims  to  have  thought  out  for  himself,  before 
he  ever  saw  the  speculations  ^n  ;re,gard  to  them  of  the  illustrious  Scots- 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  545 

man.  So,  in  reference  to  conscience,  he  mentions  that  the  '  Divine  gov 
ernment  '  of  Dr.  McCosh  had  brought  out  views  which  he  had  before 
held,  and  had  it  in  mind  to  publish.  Perhaps,  to  Dr.  Thornwell  is  due 
the  first  explicit  euouncement  of  the  great  formula :  the  fundamental 
laws  of  rectitude,  implicitly  contained  in  the  conscience,  sustain  to  it 
the  same  relation  which  the  fundamental  laws  of  belief,  implicitly  con 
tained  in  the  understanding,  sustain'  to  it. 

"  He  belonged  to  the  same  school  with  Hamilton.  Along  with  him  he 
differed,  in  some  points,  from  that  school ;  and  in  the  exercise  of  the 
same  spirit  of  independent  thought,  he  differed,  in  other  points,  with 
the  greatest  of  the  Scottish  philosophers  himself  :  a  man  whom  he  had 
likened  to  Aristotle  in  depth  and  acuteness,  to  Leibnitz  in  amplitude  of 
learning,  and  to  Bacon  in  comprehensiveness  of  thought." 

Dr.  Thornwell's  studies  in  philosophy  were  not  lost 
upon  him  as  a  THEOLOGIAN.  If  he  sought  to  ascertain 
the  bounds  of  reason  in  the  one,  he  was  not  likely  to 
transcend  them  in  the  other.  Penetrated  with  the  con 
viction  that  God  can  be  known  only  so  far  as  He  has  been 
pleased  to  reveal  Himself,  he  bowed  with  perfect  docility 
before  the  dogmatic  authority  of  the  Scriptures.  The  writer 
has  heard  him  say  a  dozen  times,  "  I  have  been  cogitating 
upon  such  and  such  a  subject,  and  can  see  no  flaw  in  my 
reasoning,  but  I  am  gravelled  with  one  verse  in  the 
Bible;"  and  then  he  would  add,  with  inexpressible  sim 
plicity,  "You  know,  P.,  that  if  there  is  but  one  passage 
of  Scripture  against  us,  our  speculations  must  go  to  the 
winds."  In  this  were  signalized  at  once  the  modesty  of 
the  philosopher  and  the  humility  of  the  Christian.  He 
brought  all  his  conclusions  to  this  touch-stone;  and 
wherever  he  found  a  "  thus  saith  the  Lord,"  he  ceased  to 
reason,  and  began  to  worship.  He  first  sought,  by  care 
ful  exegesis,  to  ascertain  *the  meaning  of  God's  word; 
then  to  collate  and  classify,  until  he  built  up  a  systematic 
theology.  As  the  inductive  philosopher  ranges  through 
nature,  collects  his  facts,  and  builds  up  his  science,  so  the 
theologian  ranges  up  and  down  the  inspired  record,  col 
lects  its  doctrines  as  they  are  strewn  in  magnificent  pro 
fusion  through  the  histories,  poems,  epistles  and  pro 
phecies  of  the  Bible;  and  in  the  same  spirit  of  caution, 


546  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

constructs  his  .scheme  of  divinity.  The  system  deduced 
by  our  brother  from  this  authoritative  testimony  was  pre 
cisely  that  articulately  set  forth  in  the  Westminster  stan 
dards.  It  was,  in  his  view,  the  only  complete  system  which 
a  thorough  and  candid  exposition  could  extract  from  the 
Bible.  By  many,  doubtless,  he  was  regarded  as  extreme 
in  some  of  his  theological  views;  a  prejudice  resulting, 
perhaps,  from  the  positive  tone  with  which  his  convic 
tions,  like  those  of  all  earnest  men,  were  announced,  and 
the  fervid  zeal  with,  which  they  were  cherished  and  de 
fended.  Never  was  a  prejudice  more  unfounded.  His 
examination  was  too  cautious,  and  his  knowledge  wras  too 
exact,  to  allow  extravagance  in  any  direction.  His  the 
ology  was  uncommonly  symmetrical  in  its  proportions. 
He  knew  the  limitations  upon  any  single  doctrine,  and 
the  relations  of  all  in  a  common  system,  by  which  they 
are  checked  and  qualified.  There  could  be  no  over 
lapping;  for  every  part  was  so  sharply  cut  and  defined, 
and  the  articulations  were  so  close,  that,  to  a  mind  se 
verely  logical,  they  must  all  stand  or  fall  together.  We 
think  it  doubtful  if  a  single  instance  can  be  produced  in 
all  his  writings,  or  even  his  extemporaneous  addresses, 
of  that  extravagance  in  language  which  shocks  a,pionf 
ear,  and  by  which  the  forcible-feeble  so  often  attempt 
to  make  the  truth  intense.  Always  earnest,  indeed,  he 
was  remarkably  exact  in  his  statements  of  doctrine ;  cau 
tious  not  to  go  beyond  the  clear  testimony  of  the  written 
Word,  and  careful  never  to  disturb  the  harmony  between 
the  truths  themselves,  as  constituent  members  of  one  sys 
tem;  and  relying  upon  the  simple  majesty  of  the  truth 
to  carry  conviction  to  a  loyal  understanding.  His  discus 
sions  were  exhaustive,  bringing  all  the  light  of  philosophy 
to  elucidate  the  principles  of  religion,  which,  as  to  their 
substance,  could  only  be  'derived  by  direct  revelation 
from  Jehovah  Himself. 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  54-7 

THE  PREACHER. 

We  next  turn  to  view  Dr.  Thornwell  in  THE  PULPIT: 
the  ambassador  of  God  to  sinful  men.  From  all  that  has 
been  said  of  his  logical  proclivity  and  scholastic  training, 
it  may  be  rightly  inferred  that  his  preaching  was  ad 
dressed  predominantly,  though  not  exclusively,  to  the 
understanding.  Looking  upon  man  as  a  being  of  intelli 
gence,  and  upon  the  truth  as  the  instrument  of  sancti- 
fication,  he  caused  that  truth  to  knock  at  the  door  of  the 
understanding  until  she  was  admitted  and  entertained. 
He  had  a  sublime  faith  in  God's  ordained  method  of 
reaching  the  affections  through  the  reclamation  of  His 
Word.  Eschewing  all  effort  to  work  upon  the  superficial 
emotions,  or  to  play  upon  natural  sympathies,  he  ad 
dressed  himself  in  earnest  to  present  the  whole  truth  of 
God,  and  to  discuss  its  fundamental  principles  before  men. 
His  analytic  power  was  fully  displayed  in  the  pulpit. 
The  clear  statement  of  a  case  is  often  one-half  of  the 
argument.  Stripping  his  subject  of  all  that  was  adven 
titious,  he  laid  bare  to  the  eye  the  single  principle  upon 
which  it  turned;  so  single  and  so  bare,  that  the  most  un 
trained  were  compelled  to  see  precisely  what  was  to  be 
elucidated.  Then  followed  a  course  of  argument,  close, 
logical,  clear,  profound,  bending  forward  to  one  conclu 
sion,  towards  which  the  hearer  was  carried,  with  his  will 
or  against  it,  led  captive  in  chains  of  logic  that  could  no 
where  be  broken.  When  the  truth  had  won  its  way,  and 
the  mind  was  brought  into  a  state  of  complete  submission, 
the  argument  was  gathered  up  in  its  weighty  and  practical 
conclusions,  and  hurled  upon  the  conscience,  compelling 
either  the  confession  of  guilt  upon  the  one  hand,  or  a 
complete  stultification  of  reason  upon  the  other.  These 
appeals  to  the  heart  were  often  fearful  in  their  solemnity; 
all  the  more  because  based  upon  the  previous  assent  of 
the  understanding.  They  were  not  mere  exhortation,  but 
a  judicial  finding  in  the  court  of  the  hearer's  own  con 
science.  The  preacher  stood  there  as  an  attorney  from 


54:8  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

heaven,  to  indict  and  prosecute  the  sinner.  The  pleading 
has  been  heard ;  the  argument  for  his  conviction  has  been 
concluded;  and  the  sinner  only  hears  the  sentence  of  con 
demnation  from  its  throne  of  judgment,  echoing  through 
all  the  chambers  of  the  soul.  It  was  upon  this  plan  most 
of  the  discourses  of  this  matchless  preacher  were  formed. 
It  mattered  little  whether  the  exposition  was  of  law  or 
grace ;  there  was  the  same  enforcement  of  eternal  and 
immutable  principles,  and  the  same  judicial  finding  of 
guilt  and  shame,  whether  the  offence  was  against  the  one 
or  the  other.  But  though  argumentative,  he  was  not 
polemic.  Indeed,  the  current  of  his  thought  was  too 
rapid  and  vehement  to  pause  and  deal  with  impugners 
and  their,  objections.  It  was  like  the  Nile,  swollen  with 
its  mountain  tributaries,  and  bursting  through  the  sedge 
which  impedes  its  flow.  He  rightly  judged,  that  to  build 
up  truth  in  its  positive  form  was  the  better  way  to  re 
move  difficulties,  which,  in  its  light,  soon  appear  as  mere 
impertinences. 

But  he  was  not  thus  exclusively  argumentative.  He 
excelled  in  the  exposition  of  Scripture ;  and  had  he  not 
been  the  first  of  logicians,  he  might  have  been  the  first  of 
commentators.  His  analytical  talent  had  room  here  for 
all  its  play.  It  dealt  little  in  dry,  verbal  criticism ;  but 
after  a  sufficient  elucidation  of  the  text,  it  seized  the 
great  truths  involved,  and  marshalled  them  in  their  due 
subordination:  a  form  of  exposition  particularly  useful, 
as  presenting  the  Scriptures  in  their  logical  connexion 
before  the  mind.  His  relations,  too,  as  preacher  to  young 
men,  led  him  into  much  practical  discourse  upon  the  com 
mon  duties  of  life  ;  with  the  same  exhibition  of  final  prin 
ciples,  which,  either  as  determining  the  nature  of  mo 
rality,  or  as  affording  specific  rules  for  the  conduct,  re 
vealed  the  strong  thinker  and  the  practical  moralist. 

The  feature  most  remarkable  in  this  prince  of  pulpit 
orators,  was  the  rare  union  of  rigorous  logic  with  strong 
emotion.  He  reasoned  always,  but  never  coldly.  He 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  549 

did  not  present  truth  in  what  Bacon  calls  "  the  dry  light 
of  the  understanding;"  clear,  indeed,  but  without  the 
heat  which  warms  and  fructifies.  Dr.  Thornwell  wove 
his  argument  in  fire.  His  mind  warmed  with  the  fric 
tion  of  its  own  thoughts,  and  glowed  witli  the  rapidity  of 
its  own  motion;  and  the  speaker  was  borne  along  in  what 
seemed  to  others  a  chariot  of  flame.  One  must  have  lis 
tened  to  him  to  form  an  adequate  conception  of  what  we 
mean.  Filled  with  the  sublimity  of  his  theme,  and  feel 
ing  in  the  depths  of  his  soul  its  transcendent  importance, 
he  could  not  preach  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  with 
the  coldness  of  a  philosopher.  As  the  flood  of  his  dis 
course  set  in,  one  could  perceive  the  ground  swell  from 
beneath,  the  heaving  tide  of  passionate  emotion  which 
rolled  it  on.  Kindling  with  a  secret  inspiration,  his  man 
ner  lost  its  slight  constraint ;  all  angularity  of  gesture 
and  awkwardness  of  posture  suddenly  disappeared;  the 
spasmodic  shaking  of  the  head  entirely  ceased ;  his  slen 
der  form  dilated;  his  deep  black  eye  lost  its  drooping 
expression ;  the  soul  came  and  looked  forth,  lighting  it 
up  with  a  strange  brilliancy ;  his  frail  body  rocked  and 
trembled  as  under  a  divine  afflatus,  as  though  the  impa 
tient  spirit  would  rend  its  tabernacle,  and  fly  forth  to  God 
and  heaven  upon  the  wings  of  his  impassioned  words ; 
until  his  fiery  eloquence,  rising  with  the  greatness  of  his 
conceptions,  burst  upon  the  hearer  in  some  grand  climax, 
overwhelming  in  its  majesty,  and  resistless  in  its  effect. 
In  all  this  there  was  no  declamation,  no  "histrionic  mum 
mery,"  no  straining  for  effect,  nothing  approaching  to 
rant.  All  was  natural,  the  simple  product  of  thought 
and  feeling  wonderfully  combined.  One  saw  the  whirl 
wind,  as  it  rose  and  gathered  np  the  waters  of  the  sea ; 
saw  it  in  its  headlong  course,  and  in  the  bursting  of  its 
power.  However  vehement  his  passion,  it  was  justified  by 
the  thoughts  which  engendered  it ;  and  in  all  the  storm 
of  his  eloquence,  the  genius  of  logic  could  be  seen  presid 
ing  over  its  elements,  and  guiding  its  course*.  The  hearer 


550  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

had  just  that'  sense  o$!_  power,  which  power  gives  when 
seen  under  a  measure  of  restraint.  The  speaker's  ful 
ness  was  not  exhausted;  language  only  failed  to  convey 
what  was  left  behind.  Xi 

But  this  picture  will  be  incomplete,  if  we  fail  to  notice 
the  magnificent  diction  which  formed  the  vesture  of  his 
noble  thoughts.  "It  is,"  says  one,  "the  plumage  of  the 
royal  bird  that  bears  him  upward  to  the  sun ; "  and  Dr. 
Thornwell  was  far  from  being  insensible  to  the  power  of 
language.  In  his  early  life  it  had  been  an  affectionate 
study ;  and  in  later  years,  it  was  his  habit,  before  any 
great  public  effort,  to  tone  his  style  by  reading  a  few 
pages  from  some  master  in  composition.  Sometimes  it 
was  a  passage  from  Robert  Hall,  sometimes  from  Edward 
Gibbon,  sometimes  of  Edmund  Burke,  sometimes  of  glo 
rious  old  Milton  ;  but  oftener  yet,  he  drank  from  that 
old  well  of  eloquence,  Demosthenes  for  the  Crown.  His 
spoken  style  was,  however,  unquestionably  the  result  of 
his  life's  study.  His  habits  of  close  thinking  exacted  a 
choice  of  words.  We  think  in  language,  however  un 
conscious  of  the  process.  It  is  the  only  embodiment  of 
thought,  without  which  we  cannot  represent  it  to  our 
selves.  Style,  therefore,  is  not  so  much  cut  and  fitted  to 
the  thought  by  artificial  and  secondary  labour,  as  it  is  wo 
ven  by  the  thought  in  the  course  of  its  own  development. 
Hence  the  precision  which  uniformly  characterized  Dr. 
Thornwell's  style.  He  was,  above  other  men,  a  close 
thinker ;  a  thinker,  who  had  daily  to  think  his  thoughts 
aloud  in  the  hearing  of  his  pupils.  The  utmost  exact 
ness  in  language  was  required,  moreover,  in  the  studies 
of  his  department.  The  subtle  spirit  of  philosophy  could 
only  be  held  as  it  was  caught  and  imprisoned  in  the  pre 
cise  word  which  fitted  it ;  and  thus  his  whole  career  as  a 
teacher  was  a  training  for  himself  as  a  master  in  style. 
In  addition  to  all,  his  copious  reading  opened  to  him  the 
entire  vocabulary  of  his  native  tongue.  "  Heading,"  says 
Lord  Bacon,  "  makes  a  full  man ;  writing,  an  exact  man ; 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  551 

and  speaking,  a  ready  man."  Dr.  Thornwell  was  all  three, 
habitually  and  through  a  long  life.  .1  He  read  abundantly, 
and  in  all  directions;  and  acquired  insensibly  that  copi 
ousness  which  formed  one  of  the  attributes  of  his  style. 
But  it  was  the  union  of  precision  with  fulness  which  dis 
tinguished  his  utterances.  In  the  most  rapid  flow  of  his 
speech,  his  diction  was  beyond  impeachment.  It  was 
always  the  right  word  for  the  thought,  and  the  whole 
vocabulary  would  not  have  furnished  a  substitute  ;  while 
in  the  amplification  of  his  thought,  }iis  mind,  like  a  kalei- 
descope,  presented  an  endless  variety  of  images,  and  the 
same  combination  never  palled  by  repetition.  To  this 
precision  and  copiousness  was  addexLa  certain  richness  of 
expression,  a  courtliness  of  style,  ^which  can  only  be  ex 
plained  by  the  majesty  of  the  thought,  that  disdained  to 
appear  in  the  dress  of  a  clown. 

To  understand  Dr.  Thornwell's  power,  these  several 
elements  must  be  combined  :*  his  powerful  logic,  his  pas 
sionate  emotion,  his  majestic  style,  of  which  it  may  be 
said,  as  of  Lord  Brougham,  that  "he^wielded  the  club  of 
Hercules  entwined  with  roses."  This  generation  will 
never  look  upon  his  like  again;  a  single  century  cannot 
-afford  to  produce  his  equal.  It  may  lis.ten  to  much  lucid 
exposition,  much  close  and  powerful,  reasoning,  much 
tender  and  earnest  appeal,  much  beautiful  and  varied 
imagery;  but  never  from  the  lips  of  one  man  can  it  be 
stirred  by  vigour  of  argument  fused  by  a  seraph's  glow, 
and  pouring  itself  forth  in  strains  which  linger  in  the 
memory  like  the  chant  of  angels.  The  regret  has  been 
expressed  that  his  unwritten  sermons  had  not  been  pre 
served  through  the  labours  of  a  reporter.  It  is  well  the 

*Kev.  Nathaniel  Hewitt,  D.  D.,  of  Bridgeport,  Connecticut,  thus 
speaks  of  him,  founding  his  eulogium  upon'a  sermon,  published  as 
early  as  1843:  "  Howe,  Owen,  and  Kobert  Hall,  r.e-appear  in  him.  The 
philosophical  acumen  of  Howe,  the  gospel  unction  of  Owen,  and  the 
rhetoric  of  Hall,  unite  in  this  discourse ;  and,  in  my  humble  opinion,  no 
sermon  has  been  produced  in  our  country,  in  my  day,  in  any  pulpit, 
equal  to  it/' 


552  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

attempt  was  never  made.  What  invented  symbols  could 
convey  that  kindling  eye,  those  trembling  and  varied 
tones,  the  expressive  attitude,  the  foreshadowing  and 
typical  gesture,  the  whole  quivering  frame,  which  made 
up  in  him  the  complement  of  the  finished  orator !  The 
lightning's  flash,  the  fleecy  clouds  embroidered  on  the 
sky,  and  the  white  crest  of  the  ocean  wave,  surpass  the 
painter's  skill.  The  orator  must  live  through  tradition;, 
and  to  make  this  tradition,  wre  have  described  one,  of 
whom  it  may  be  said,  as  once  of  Ebenezer  Erskine,  "  He 
that  never  heard  him,  never  heard  the  gospel  in  its  ma 
jesty." 

On  special  occasions,  Dr.  Thornwell  sometimes  com 
mitted  the  mistake  of  projecting  his  discourse  on  too 
large  a  scale.  The  consequent  necessity  of  slurring  over 
some  parts,  and  of  omitting  others,  gave  an  air  of  incom 
pleteness,  and  diminished  the  effect.  His  anxiety  to  seize 
these  opportunities  for  impressing  broad  views  of  trutli 
led  him  to  dwell  upon  generic  principles,  which  involved 
discussion  more  or  less  abstract;  and  this,  with  his  ago 
nistic  fervour,  imparted1  an  appearance  of  labour,  in  the 
judgment  of  those  who  were  unable  to  discriminate.  We 
remember  a  criticism  of  this  sort,  from  an  eminent  lawyer, 
after  listening  to  one  of  his  Commencement  sermons :: 
"He  is,  no  doubt,  a  great  man;  but  he  seems  to  me  to 
labour  in  his  thinking,  as  though  the  effort  was  oppres 
sive."  We  ventured  the  foregoing  explanation ;  and  sug 
gested,  as  delicately  as  possible,  that  the  labour  might  be- 
in  the  hearer's  effort  to  follow  the  course  of  thought,, 
which  was  insensibly  transferred  to  the  speaker.  The 
suggestion  was  accepted,  with  a  smile,  as  the  true  so 
lution  of  the  case.  But,  doubtless,  the  habits  of  his- 
mind  tended  to  this  error.  One  of  his  fondest  admirers- 
writes:  "  My  own  opinion  has  ever  been,  that  the  great 
preacher's  only  blemish,  for  a  popular  audience,  was  that 
his  somewhat  long  chains  of  reasoning,  couched  in  phrase 
ology  somewhat  too  condensed  and  technical — though 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  553 

natural  to  him  from  long-  habit — overshot  very  often  the 
weaker  ones."  Still  it  is  astonishing  how,  even  in  these 
cases,  the  impassioned  fervour  of  his  address  bore  the 
audience  along  in  sympathy  with  his  emotions,  if  not 
with  his  thoughts.  To  us  Dr.  Thornwell  was  always 
greatest  in  his  ordinary  ministrations;  when,  under  a 
purely  spiritual  influence,  he  would  often  rise  with  his 
theme,  and  pour  forth  utterances  that  seemed  only  less 
than  inspired. 

As  Dr.  Thornwell  never  appeared  in  the  pulpit  with  a 
manuscript,  nor  with  the  smallest  brief,  it  may  be  inte 
resting  to  some  to  know  by  what  discipline  he  trained 
himself  to  such  consummate  excellence.  This  will  be  fur 
nished  in  the  sketch  of  a  conversation  with  one  of  his 

• 

Seminary  pupils.  He  writes  :  "  It  was  my  privilege  once 
to  have  Dr.  Thornwell  as  a  travelling  companion  from 
Columbia  to  Charlotte,  and  we  had  a  talk  of  some  two  or 
three  hours;  some  points  of  which  I  jotted  down  that 
night  on  paper.  We  first  talked  of  extemporaneous 
preaching.  The  Doctor  said  that,  as  for  the  effect  on  the 
audience,  the  manuscript  bears  no  comparison;  the  very 
presence  of  the  paper  is  a  barrier  between  the  speaker 
and  the  audience,  which  prevents  full  sympathy  between 
the  two.  It  would  be  ridiculous  for  a  man  to  rise  with  a 
manuscript  in  the  British  House  of  Commons,  or  before 
any  audience  where  the  object  was  to  move.  The  style 
ought  to  be  earnest  and  natural.  Figures  introduced  for 
their  beauty,  and  not  for  the  assistance  they  render,  are 
contemptible.  But  whilst  a  man  speaks  thus,  he  ought  to 
write,  as  a  general  rule.  Some  few  men  may  be  excepted. 
It  was  by  writing,  by  re-writing,  and  by  polishing  many 
of  the  finest  passages,  that  Sheridan,  Burke,  Lord  Chat 
ham,  and  others,  made  themselves.  It  is  astonishing 
what  labour  they  bestowed  upon  their  productions.  An 
anecdote  is  told  of  Lord  Brougham,  that,  when  passing 
through  the  country,  a  dinner  was  suddenly  gotten  up, 
at  which  he  delivered  a  powerful  speech.  When  asked 


554:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

how  lie  could  produce  such  a  speech  on  so  short  a  notice, 
he  replied:  CI  had  it  all  prepared  some  time  ago,  not 
knowing  when  just  such  an  occasion  would  demand  it.' 
So  it  was  with  Mr.  Calhoun,  who  bestowed  intense  study, 
vast  labour,  upon  his  productions. 

"  Dr.  Thornwell  did  not  think,  with  some,  that  a  man 
ought  to  keep  a  blank  book,  which  he  is  regularly  filling 
with  compositions.  It  is  a  species  of  writing  not  suited 
to  improve  one.  It  is  better  to  elaborate  the  finer  pas 
sages  of  a  particular  address,  which  will  tell  upon  the 
writer  with  much  greater  effect.  There  is  something  re 
markable  'n  the  facility  with  which  one  man  will  catch 
another's  man's  mode  of  thinking.  If,  for  example,  we 
undertake  to  imitate  any  one  in  his  awkwardness,  to 
mimic  his  tones  of  voice  and  peculiar  manner,  we  will 
soon  find  that  we  are  moulding  our  thoughts  into  a  like 
ness  with  his.  So,  a  man  brought  up  in  good  society 
will  catch  the  ease  and  bearing  of  a  gentleman,  without 
trying  to  do  it.  The  best  thing,  therefore,  for  a  speaker, 
is  to  take  a  few  of  the  best  authors  and  master  them — to 
read,  think,  criticize,  analyze  them ;  and  he  cannot  help 
pitching  his  thoughts  upon  an  elevation  with  theirs.  If 
he  were  the  teacher  of  sacred  rhetoric,  he  would  first 
cause  his  pupils  to  master  the  principles  of  rhetoric — in 
Campbell,  for  instance;  and  then  he  would  spend  the 
time  in  analyzing  such  works  as  those  of  Milton,  Shakes 
peare,  Lord  Bacon,  and  Hobert  Hall.  The  man  who  does 
this*is  obliged  to  rise  in  the  pitch  of  his  thoughts.  Some 
men,  by  reading  thus,  and  then  by  walking  the  floor,  turn 
ing  their  sentences  over  and  over  again,  eliminating, revers 
ing  the  order,  and  polishing,  can  at  last  have  them  entirely 
accurate  and  finished,  according  to  the  maris  ability  / 
and  they  will  be  so  fixed  in  the  memory  that  they  can  be 
produced  whenever  the  occasion  demands.  These  men 
can  get  along  without  writing,  because,  when  the  sentence 
is  ready  for  the  paper,  it  is  at  the  fingers'  ends,  and  there 
is  no  necessity  for  writing  it  out.  Such  a  man  I  believe 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  555 

9 

myself  to  be.  But  my  experience  teaches  me,  that  care 
must  be  taken  not  to  hammer  out  all  the  life  of  a  pro 
duction,  so  that,  when  you  come  to  speak  it,  you  will 
have  no  animation.  This  can  be  avoided  by  not  allowing 
yourself  too  much  time  to  do  this  thinking.  Take,  for 
example,  two  days  for  a  sermon,  knowing  that  it  must  go 
up  in  that  time ;  and  you  wrill  concentrate  your  powerv-  of 
thought,  so  as  to  complete  the  address  before  it  is  worn 
out.  Or  it  may  be  avoided  thus:  Make  a  sermon,  then 
lay  it  by  for  a  month  or  two,  and  take  it  up  with  a  few 
hours'  study.  The  man  who  makes  himself  the  slave  of 
the  manuscript  has  to  spend  his  spare  time  in  the  manual 
labour  of  writing,  and  has  no  leisure  to  spend  with  these 
authors.  He  compares  himself  only  with  himself,  and 
never  improves. 

"  Dr.  Thornwell  said,  he  himself  scarcely  ever  writes, 
for  two  reasons :  first,  when  he  has  a  thing  ready  for  the 
paper,  he  is  master  of  it.  In  his  Lectures  on  Theology — 
written  out  because  he  may  some  day  publish  them — no 
corrections  are  made  on  the  paper.  And,  secondly,  be 
cause,  when  anything  goes  down  on  paper,  it  so  disgusts 
him  that  he  cannot  endure  it ;  on  the  other  hand,  if  it  be 
extempore,  when  spoken  it  is  gone.  He  never  goes  into 
the  pulpit  without  knowing  every  point.  The  intro 
ductory  sentences  and  the  exposition  are  prepared  to  a 
word;  after  that,  he  only  prepares  thoroughly  the  divi 
sions,  sub-divisions,  illustrations,  and  points.  The  exact 
language  is- not  premeditated,  unless  it  be  on  a  point 
where  great  accuracy  is  required,  or  in  the  finer  passages 
of  the  sermon.  He  does  not  now  pay  less  attention  to 
minutise,  because  of  his  experience.  The  above  was  his 
plan  from  the  beginning. 

"As  to  the  increased  facility  in  making  sermons  gained 
by  practice,  it  is  only  this :  that,  if  you  are  a  thinker,  you 
will  have  materials  cut  and  dried.  Dr.  Thornwell  fre 
quently  does  what  some  folks  call  making  a  sermon  in  an 
hour,  or  in  fifteen  minutes;  but  it  is  only  selecting  and 


556  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

9 

arranging,  for  present  use,  materials  long  since  thought 
out  and  laid  aside.  So  that,  when  he  is  asked  how  long 
it  takes  him  to  make  a  sermon,  he  replies  that  he  lias 
been  making  every  sermon  which  he  preaches  all  his  life. 
In  regard  to  making  an  apology  for  a  sermon,  he  never 
did  it  in  his  life ;  though  he  has  often  felt  that  one  was 

-  O 

needed.  Some  one  has  said  that  'an  apology  always 
stinks ; '  it  does  savour  very  strongly  of  human  pride.  He 
frequently  feels  miserable  after  a  sermon,  considering  it 
a  failure,  even  when  the  congregation  does  not  agree  with 
him  in  the  estimate.  Several  years  ago,  he  was  travelling 
near  Yorkville;  came  to  a  sacramental  meeting,  and 
preached  a  sermon,  than  which  he  never  preached  a 
meaner  in  his  life;  got  on  his  horse,  and  sneaked  away, 
that  he  might  see  nobody.  Two  years  afterward,  he  was 
passing  over  the  same  ground ;  came  to  the  same  place  at 
another  sacramental  meeting;  when  two  persons  came 
forward  to  unite  with  the  church,  who  traced  their  con 
victions  to  that  'abominable  sermon,'  which,  he  still 
thought,  was  the  poorest  of  his  life. 

"  Upon  the  question,  whether  a  town  or  country  charge 
was  the  best  for  study,  he  remarked  that,  if  a  man  had 
the  love  for  study  which  would  lead  him  to  redeem  the 
time,  the  country  church  was  best.  But  there  are  few 
men  who  wrill  study  except  under  pressure.  Rubbing 
against  people  keeps  one  alive;  less  time  is  required  for 
pastoral  visiting  in  town,  and  when  a  visitor  calls,  you  can 
excuse  yourself;  whereas,  in  the  country,  you  have  to  sit 
with  him  and  eat  your  thumbs  a  whole  day,  even  if  boredi 
to  death.  Hence  the  town  church  is  best." 

However  true  these  remarks  may  be,  as  applied  to- 
preaching  generally,  the  Church  has  reason  to  mourn  the 
loss  of  much  that  she  would  have  prized,  from  the  ability 
which  Dr.  Thornwell  possessed  of  carrying  his  thoughts- 
locked  up  in  his  own  mind;  and  still  more  from  that 
hyper-criticism  which  censured,  with  such  morbid  sever 
ity,  what  he  did  write.  As  an  illustration,  we  recite  what 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  557 

is  told  by  one  of  his  most  distinguished  pupils:  "I  re 
member  calling  upon  him  for  the  manuscript  of  a  lecture 
on  the  Evidences;  which,  as  a  summary  of  the  argument 
for  Christianity,  based  upon  man's  necessities  on  the  one 
hand,  and  upon  God's  personality  and  character,  sug 
gested  by  the  analogue  of  human  parentage,  on  the  other, 
surpassed  all  that  I  have  ever  met  with  outside  of  Butler. 
It  was  a  masterly  discussion  of  the  anti-supernatural  po 
sition  of  the  Oxford  Essays,  upon  the  model  of  c  Pascal's- 
Thoughts,'  as  he  told  us.  When  I  asked  for  the  manuscript, 
he  playfully  replied  :  'Why,  B.,  I  am  astonished  at  you; 
you  really  do  not  wish  to  have  anymore  of  that  stuff!  I 
put  it  into  the  grate  as  soon  as  I  got  home,  and  was; 
ashamed  to  have  kept  the  class  listening  for  an  hour  and 
a  half  to  it.'  In  the  perfect  freedom  which  his  gentleness 
inspired,  I  responded  earnestly  :  '  Then,  Dr.  Thornwell, 
you  have  done  very  wrong;  for  you  will  die  one  of  these 
days,  and  deprive  us  of  help  which  we  know  by  experience 
does  us  great  service.'  I  then  glanced  uneasily  at  his 
face,  fearing  that  perhaps  I  had  spoken  too  pertly.  But 
the  quizzical  smile  had  faded  away,  the  spirit  of  banter 
had  given  place  to  serious  reflection.  He  remained  silent; 
and  I  have  since  thought  that  the  impulsive  words  of  a 
mere  stripling  had  revealed,  for  a  moment,  more  clearly 
than  usual,  the  most  developed  weakness  of  his  mind." 
To  the  same  morbid  sensitiveness  we  owe  the  loss  of 
several  of  his  written  discourses,  destroyed  by  his  own 
hand.  One,  for  example,  upon  the  Flood,  and  another 
vipon  the  Final  Judgment,  executed  with  such  fearful 
power  of  description,  that  they  were  never  delivered 
without  moving  the  audience  to  the  depths  of  the  souL 

THE  PRESBYTER. 

We  transfer  Dr.  Thornwell  next  to  the  CHURCH  COURTS, 
and  view  him  as  the  ECCLESIASTICAL  STATESMAN.  It  may 
seem  paradoxical  to  present  this  man  of  the  closet  as  the 
wisest  of  practical  counsellors.  Yet  the  combination  is- 


558  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

not  unexampled.  Paul,  the  writer  and  logician  among 
the  apostles,  was,  above  them  all,  the  man  of  action.  He 
had  upon  him  the  care  of  all  the  churches,  and  was  not 
inferior  to  the  practical  James  in  executive  direction. 
Calvin,  the  great  theologian  and  expositor  of  the  Refor 
mation,  bore  upon  his  shoulders  the  whole  weight  of  the 
Genevan  State.  So  solid  was  his  judgment,  that  all  por 
tions  of  the  Reformed  Church  turned  to  him  for  advice ; 
and  the  burden  of  his  correspondence  alone  would  have 
overwhelmed  any  ordinary  man.  Thus  it  was  with  him 
to  whose  memory  these  pages  are  consecrated.  In  every 
sphere  in  which  he  moved,  whether  as  Professor  in  the 
College  Faculty,  or  as  Trustee  in  its  Board  of  Administra 
tion,  or  in  the  broader  area  of  an  ecclesiastical  council,  he 
was  remarked  for  his  practical  good  sense,  and  became  a 
leader  among  equals. 

One  secret  of  this  is  found  in  the  fact,  that  his  princi 
ples  of  action  were  all  settled.  They  were  not  left  to  be 
gathered  up  in  the  hurry  of  an  emergency,  amid  the  dust 
and  strife  of  debate.  They  were  antecedently  determined, 
and  no  temptation  could  induce  him  to  swerve  from  their 
maintenance.  ISTo  man  was  ever  less  under  the  guidance 
of  n.ere  expediency  than  he,  whether  the  question  related 
to  the  private  intercourse  of  man  with  man,  or  ranged 
upon  a  higher  scale  in  matters  in  public  policy.  None 
saw  more  clearly  that  so  shifting  a  rule  as  that  of  expe 
diency  could  never  prescribe  an  even  or  consistent  course. 
He  fixed  therefore  for  himself,  finally  and  for  ever,  the 
great  principles  of  private  and  public  morality,  and  these 
were  his  guides  through  every  labyrinth  of  doubt.  In 
this  is  found  the  capital  distinction  between  the  states 
man  and  the  politician :  the  one  starts  out  with  catholic 
and  fundamental  principles,  which  determine  his  entire 
course;  the  other  floats  upon  the  current  of  events,  is 
borne  off  into  every  eddy,  and  reflects  little  else  but 
the  changef ulness  of  popular  opinion.  The  former  may 
sometimes  err  in  the  application  of  his  canons  to  partic- 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  559 

ular  cases ;  but  he  has  the  means  of  correcting  his  own 
aberrations,  and  will  preserve  a  manly  consistency  through 
all  the  changes  of  a  public  career. 

Another  element  of  Dr.  Thorn  well's  influence  in  coun 
cil  lay  in  the  caution  with  which  all  his  particular  judg 
ments  were  formed;  waiting  for  a  full  rendering  of  all 
the  facts,  and  suspending  his  opinion  until  the  case  had 
been  considered  on  every  side.  Even  in  the  intimacy  of 
private  life,  this  cautiousness  was  preserved.  An  innate 
sense  of  justice,  and  rare  integrity  of  heart,  served  to 
check  a  premature  expression.  Thus,  he  was  seldom 
obliged  to  retract  his  judgments.  He  was  kept  both 
from  the  weakness  of  vacillation,  and  from  the  criminal 
obstinacy  of  adhering  to  opinions  which  ought  to  be 
yielded.  Public  confidence  was  challenged  by  this  pru 
dence,  which  had  its  spring  alike  in  the  dictates  of  wis 
dom  and  propriety.  He  found  an  advantage,  too,  in  the 
rapidity  of  his  mental  operations,  sweeping  him  on  to 
his  conclusions  in  advance  of  others.  His  wonderful 
power  of  analysis  resolved  complexities  in  which  others 
were  entangled;  and  whilst  they  were  searching  for  the 
clue  by  which  to  extricate  themselves,  he  had  already 
seized  the  ultimate  principle  which  unravelled  all  diffi 
culties,  and  settled  every  doubt.  ISTor  should  we  omit, 
in  this  enumeration,  a  certain  positiveness  of  mind,  which 
lifted  him  above  the  danger  of  indecision,  and,  by  a  sort 
of  internal  necessity,  compelled  a  judgment  upon  every 
issue.  It  is  the  infirmity  of  some  minds  to  be  always  tremb 
ling  upon  the  balance,  incapable  of  deciding  whether  to 
descend  upon  this  side  or  upon  that,  of  every  question. 
These  are  the  unfortunate  incapables  who  swell  the  list 
of  non-liquets  on  the  records  of  our  Church  courts;  or 
who,  in  their  desperation,  leap  blindly  upon  a  vote,  as  a 
man  leaps  from  a  railway  train,  not  knowing  whether  he 
will  land  upon  a  bed  of  sand,  or  upon  a  brake  of  thorns. 
On  the  contrary,  every  deliberative  body  reVeals  exam 
ples  of  men  who,  by  their  greater  positiveness  of  mind 


;560  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOENWELL. 

.and  character,  lead  those  superior  to  them  in  ability  and 
general  attainments:  men  in  whom  strength  of  will 
stands  in  the  stead  of  intellectual  power.  In  a  body  of 
counsellors,  the  ready  always  lead  the  unready.  From 
this  imbecility  Dr.  Thornwell  was  perfectly  free.  In 
every  situation  he  could  but  think ;  if  difficulties  embar 
rassed  the  case,  he  thought  with  the  more  intensity;  but 
he  always  thought  to  a  conclusion.  If  he  was  cautious 
•in  framing  his  judgment,  his  convictions  were  neverthe 
less  matured;  and  so  he  always  led. 

A  notable  illustration  of  this  penetrative  quality  of 
mind,  and  of  the  command  it  gave  him  at  times  over  a 
deliberative  body,  is  mentioned  by  one  who  sat  with  him 
in  the-  Assembly  of  1856.  A  judicial  case  came  up, 
wrapped  in  technicalities.  The  Assembly  got  into  a 
perfect  tangle  over  it.  No  ten  members  agreed  in  any 
one  view.  Motions,  amendments,  and  substitutes  were 
piled  upon  each  other  in  beautiful  disorder.  The  rulings 
,of  the  chair  were  objected  to  and  appealed  from,  and 
.chaos  reigned  supreme.  After  consuming  three  daily 
sessions,  the  house  must  dispose  of  it.  "What  is  the 
question?"  was  asked  by  a  dozen  voices.  It  was  stated 
by  the  Chair.  Then  a  dozen  voices  inquired  as  to  the 
effect  of  this  motion,  and  of  that.  All  was  at  sea  again. 
Through  the  whole  of  this,  Dr.  Thornwell  sat  half-hidden 
under  the  gallery  of  the  church,  with  his  feet  drawn  up 
on  the  seat,  apparently  unconcerned  and  unconscious  of* 
the  hubbub  around  him.  At  length,  in  the  moment  of 
.extremity,  he  stepped  forth  into  the  aisle,  and  in  ten  min 
utes  went  through  the  case,  unravelling  the  whole,  tangle ; 
and  concluded  by  offering  an  amendment  covering  his 
•views,  which  was  instantly  accepted,  and  unanimously 
.carried.  The  vexed  question  was  disposed  of  to  the  sat 
isfaction  of  the  house,  and  there  was  a  great  calm.  It 
•was  but  one  of  many  instances  of  the  clearness  of  his  logi- 
,cal  processes  applied  to  practical  life. 

But  the  moral  quality  which  jnore  than  all  contributed 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  561 

to  his  vast  influence,  was  the  transparent  honesty  of  his 
heart.  He  was  no  intriguer;  had  no  by-ends  to  accom 
plish;  never  worked  by  indirection.  His  heart  was  in  his 
hand,  and  every  man  could  read  it.  When  he  rose  in 
-debate,  his  very  tone  seemed  to  say,  "  I  believed,  there 
fore  I  have  spoken."  None  doubted  his  sincerity,  or 
suspected  a  trap  to  catch  the  unwary.  Straightforward 
himself,  he  dealt  honestly  with  his  colleagues ;  and  if  he 
•could  not  cary  his  point  by  fair  argument,  he  was  content 
to  fail.  Winning  confidence  thus  by  his  manly  and  truth 
ful  bearing,  his  reasoning  met  with  little  resistance,  either 
of  resentment  or  prejudice,  and  seldom  succumbed  under 
defeat. 

For  all  the  duties  of  a  churchman,  Dr.  Thornwell  was 
perfectly  equipped.  He  had  sifted  the  controversies 
which,  through  eighteen  centuries,  have  been  waged, 
touching  the  organization  of  the  Church,  and  understood 
the  principles  which  are  fundamental  to  her  existence. 
He  had  studied  with  care  the  constitution  of  his  own 
Church,  from  those  great  truths  which  underlie  her  whole 
polity,  down  to  the  rules  of  order  for  her  internal  man 
agement;  and  no  man  ever  surpassed  him  as  an  expounder 
of  her  laws.  Believing  firmly  in  tlicjus  divinum  of  Pres- 
byterianism,  he  was  yet  no  bigot — in  no  sense  of  the  word 
a  sectary.  The  last  sermon  he  was  permitted  to  preach 
was  delivered  in  a  Methodist  church  ;  and  the  last  prayer- 
meeting  in  which  he  took  a  part,  was  a  united  prayer- 
meeting  on  behalf  of  the  country.  He  was  also  versed 
in  those  Parliamentary  rules  by  which  deliberative  assem 
blies  are  usually  governed;  and  was  thus  fitted,  on  every 
hand,  to  be  a  guide  in  ecclesiastical  councils.  Over  the  en- 
•  tire  Church  he  wielded  the  influence,  though  not  clothed 
with  the  authority,  of  an  acknowledged  primate.  The 
Church  signalized  her  appreciation  of  his  abilities,  not 
only  by  conferring  upon  him  her  highest  honour, — that  of 
presiding  over  her  supreme  court, — but  still  more  by  call 
ing  him  to  the  most  responsible  and  difficult  duties  in  all 


562        LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

her  Assemblies.  Before  the  rupture  of  our  ecclesiastical 
bonds,  the  delicate  task  of  revising  her  Code  of  Disci 
pline  was  placed  chiefly  in  his  hands.  And  in  his  death, 
the  Church  was  called,  not  only  to  mourn  the  loss  of  her 
greatest  theologian  and  preacher,  but  the  removal  from 
her  councils  of  her  wisest  statesman. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  AND  THE  MAN. 

Our  survey  will  be  complete  when  we  shall  have  viewed 
him  as  a  CHRISTIAN  and  a  MAN.  As  to  the  former,  it  will 
suffice  to  say,  that  the  type  of  his  theology  was  the  type 
of  his  experience.  He  was  not  the  man  to  divorce  the 
understanding  from  the  heart.  He  concurred  with  the 
Reformers  in  their  definition  of  true  faith,  which,  as 
Calvin  says,  "is  not  formed  by  the  addition  of  pious  af 
fection  as  an  accessory  to  assent,  but  the  assent  itself 
consists  in  pious  affection."  Those,  therefore,  miscon 
ceived  him,  who  construed  his  religion  as  one  of  stern 
principle,  separate  from  the  affections.  His  life  illus 
trated  the  union  of  both,  in  "  the  faith  which  worketh  by 
love."  The  same  strong  views  which  the  theologian  held 
upon  the  nature  of  sin,  bowed  the  Christian  in  penitential 
grief  before  the  Redeemer's  cross;  the  same  clear  expo 
sition  given  by  the  one  of  man's  helplessness  and  ruin, 
cast  the  other  upon  the  infinite  power  and  riches  of  Divine 
grace ;  the  same  discovery  of  the  sufficiency  of  the  atone 
ment,  that  made  this  the  centre  from  which  the  preacher's 
discourses  all  radiate,  led  the  believer  to  throw  the  arms 
of  his  affection  around  the  Saviour  with  rapturous  de 
light;  the  same  conviction  of  the  necessity  of  a  Divine 
revelation,  which  led  the  apologist  to  defend  its  inspi 
ration,  bowed  also  his  reason  into  the  docility  of  a  child 
before  its  teachings ;  the  same  recognition  of  God's  right 
ful  supremacy,  which,  in  the  class-room,  placed  the  crown 
of  dominion  upon  "the  King  of  kings,"  sustained  the 
afflicted  saint  in  the  hour  of  bereavement,  and  filled  him 
with  awe  as  he  passed  beneath  the  rod ;  the  same  intelli- 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  563 

gence  which  owned  the  majesty  of  the  divine  law,  brought 
the  will  into  subjection  to  its  commands;  the  same  view 
of  the  resistless  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  invoked 
His  aid  in  the  work  of  personal  sanctification ;  and  the 
same  sense  of  the  nature  and  functions  of  the  Church  of 
God,  engaged  him  with  his  whole  heart  in  her  sublime 
efforts  to  evangelize  the  world.  In  short,  an  exquisite 
harmony  obtained  between  his  secret  exercises  and  his  pub 
lic  utterances.  There  was  no  conflict  between  his  preach 
ing  and  his  prayers.  It  was  not  one  man  in  the  class-room 
with  his  pupils,  and  another  man  in  the  closet  with  his 
God;  but  a  beautiful  consistency  ran  through  his  char 
acter,  both  as  a  teacher  and  a  Christian. 

We  only  state  the  great  law  of  the  Christian  life,  when 
we  speak  of  growth :  first  the  blade,  and  then  the  full 
corn  in  the  ear.  Dr.  Thornwell  ripened  in  holiness  to 
the  hour  of  his  translation.  His  humility  became  more 
profound,  his  faith  more  abiding,  his  love  more  glowing, 
his  will  chastened  into  deeper  submission.  He  did  not 
escape  the  discipline  of  sorrow,  by  which  the  Lord 
refines  His  people.  The  cup  of  bereavement,  witli  its 
bitterest  ingredients,  was  once  and  again  put  to  his 
lips.  A  delightful  softness  was  diffused  over  his  Christian 
character.  The  sharper  and  sterner  features  were  worn 
down  into  more  perfect  symmetry  and  grace.  He  became 
more  gentle  in  his  censures,  more  catholic  in  his  love. 
His  views  of  the  Divine  holiness,  and  of  the  Redeemer's 
glory,  were  always  grand  ;  they  now  became  more  adoring. 
He  rose  above  the  speculations  of  reason,  into  the  region  of 
pure  and  spiritual  worship.  But  we  suspend  here  our 
own  description,  and  give  place  to  a  touching  tribute  to 
his  memory,  from  one  who  had  the  privilege  of  being 
associated  with  him,  first  as  a  student,  and  then  for  a 
short  time  as  a  co-pastor,  the  Rev.  Francis  P.  Mullally. 
He  writes: 

' '  My  first  impression  of  Dr.  Thornwell  was  not  pleasant.  Even  in  the 
pulpit,  his  voice,  gesticulation,  and  whole  bearing,  were  at  first  repulsive 


564:  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORNWELL. 

to  me.  But  as  I  learned  to  follow  his  glowing  logic,  and  to  appreciate 
Ms  mighty  thoughts,  I  came  so  to  admire  him,  in  every  respect,  that, 
when  I  began  to  preach,  I  found  it  hard  to  guard  against  an  unconscious 
imitation  of  his  manner. 

"Although  no  other  man  ever  so  impressed  me  with  the  sense  of  his 
greatness,  yet  I  never  felt  cowed  or  depressed  by  his  presence.  On  the 
contrary,  his  instruction,  and  preaching,  and  conversation,  were  wont  to 
inspire  me  with  a  courage,  and  energy,  and  vigour  not  my  own.  This 
is  the  more  remarkable,  because  the  effect  of  the  great  superiority  of 
other  men  has  ever  been  the  opposite  in  my  case.  But  even  when 
preaching  before  him,  so  sure  was  I  of  his  sympathy,  that  his  eye  con 
veyed  strength  into  my  soul. 

"Dr.  Thornwell's  influence  over  me  exceeds  what  I  would  have  be 
lieved  to  be  possible  on  the  part  of  any  merely  human  being,  had  I  not 
actually  come  under  it.  I  have  never  made  a  mental  effort  since  I  en 
tered  the  ministry,  without  being  consciously  indebted  to  him ;  never 
analyzed  a  chapter,  without  recalling  his  instruction ;  never  made  an 
important  judgment,  without  applying  some  principle  taught  by  him. 
He  seems  to  live  as  vividly,  distinctly,  and  potently,  in  my  soul,  at  every 
moment,  as  if  we  had  parted  but  an  hour  before.  My  memory's  photo 
graph  of  the  home  of  my  childhood  is  not  more  minute  in  detail  than  are 
its  pictures  of  the  scenes  and  events  of  my  life  connected  with  Dr. 
Thornwell. 

"As  a  philosopher,  he  was  greater  in  conversation  than  on  paper.  I 
believe  it  was  impossible  to  surprise  him  on  any  subject  of  thought  con 
nected  with  man's  political,  social,  and  spiritual  interests.  Within  this 
wide  domain,  he  seemed  not  only  to  have  read,  but  digested  and  sifted, 
everything  ever  written,  from  the  origin  of  literature  to  his  own  day. 
Yet,  though  indebted  to  all  philosophers,  he  followed  none.  His  intuitive 
•convictions,  moral  and  logical,  were  strong.  He  made  speculative  opinion 
a  matter  of  conscience.  He  was  pre-eminently  single-minded.  He  loved 
the  truth,  as  no  miser  ever  loved  gold — loved  it  for  its  own  sake.  Hence 
the  result  of  his  reading  was  not  a  mere  acquaintance  with  what  men 
had  thought  and  said,  but  increased  power  in  his  own  conscience,  and  in 
all  the  faculties  of  his  soul ;  also  the  formation  of  opinions  for  himself, 
the  completion  of  distinct  and  settled  judgments  by  his  own  mind,  in 
view  of  all  that  had  been  said  on  the  particular  subject.  His  utterances 
often  indicated  the  range  of  his  reading,  but  not  by  any  slavish  adoption 
of  other  men's  thoughts.  His  use  of  books,  whether  he  expressly  quoted 
from  them  or  not,  showed  that,  while  he  read  in  the  spirit  of  humble 
inquiry,  he  read  also  as  a  master  of  the  art  of  thinking,  and  as  an  expert 
in  the  exchequer  of  truth.  But  the  spring  of  his  greatness  as  a  philo 
sopher  was  the  strength  of  the  intuitive  convictions  of  his  soul.  To  this, 
more  than  to  genius  or  study,  he  owed  his  power  as  a  teacher  of  philo 
sophy  and  religion.  My  knowledge  of  him  would  suffice  to  convince  me 
that  a  true  heart  is  necessary  to  the  development  and  growth  of  mental 
greatness. 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  565 

"Among  the  things  by  which  Dr.  Thornwell  was  distinguished,  to  me, 
his  respect  for  his  fellow  men  was  not  the  least  remarkable.  He  hon 
oured  all  men ;  respected  man  as  man ;  reverenced  mind,  in  whatever 
form  or  stage  of  progress  it  appeared.  I  never  knew  him  to  interrupt 
a  student  while  endeavouring,  or  even  pretending,  to  answer  a  question. 
The  response  might  be  no  matter  how  far  from  the  point,  or  blunder 
ing;  might  evidently  invite  interruption  as  a  means  of  escape  from 
painful  exposure ;  yet  would  it  have  his  unrippled  attention  till  it  came 
to  a  close.  Once,  in  giving  an  analysis  of  Calvin's  chapters  on  the  Me 
diatorial  Person,  I  made  a  mistake  in  a  point  at  the  very  outset.  An 
other  would  have  stopped  me  right  there ;  but  he,  giving  no  indication 
of  my  mishap,  heard  me  throxigh,  with  a  charming  expression  of  inter 
est  in  his  face ;  and  then,  kindly  showing  his  gratification  at  my  success, 
took  me  back  to  the  one  misapprehended  point.  This  way  of  dealing 
with  young  men  was  of  manifold  benefit  in  its  effects.  It  encouraged 
independent  thinking,  gave  opportunity  for  the  play  of  generous  emu 
lation  and  love  of  praise,  rebuked  pretense,  and  exposed  idleness. 

"In  our  co-pastorate  he  manifested  the  same  trait  very  fully.  He 
always  made  me  feel  that  he  gave  any  views  presented  by  me  as  much 
attention  as  if  they  had  been  urged  in  person  by  the  most  distinguished 
and  experienced  Presbyter  in  the  land.  Probably  the  best  exemplification 
of  this  was  his  yielding  to  me,  in  reference  to  a  form  for  the  admission  of 
converts  into  the  Church  which  he  had  prepared,  to  the  extent  of  erasing 
more  than  half  the  questions -it  originally  contained.  What  made  this  the 
more  remarkable  was,  that  he  had  undertaken  to  defend  the  propriety 
of  asking  such  questions,  and  that  he  gave  way  after  we.  had  debated 
the  matter.  Though  he  had  the  strength  of  a  giant,  he  did  not  use  it 
as  a  giant. 

"Dr.  Thornwell  did  not  despise  the  verdict  of  public  opinion.  He 
felt  that  the  decisions  of  the  human  mind,  formed  apart  from  selfish 
ness  and  prejudice,  were  apt  to  be  in  accordance  with  the  views  of  God. 
He  even  held  that,  generally,  the  students  were  the  best  judges  of  the 
ability  of  the  professor,  and  the  congregation  of  the  qualifications  of 
the  preacher.  Hence  he  was  far  from  being  indifferent  to  the  judgment 
upon  himself.  On  the  contrary,  he  desired  to  know  what  impression  he 
had  made,  and  derived  pleasure  from  the  approbation  and  gratitude  of 
his  hearers.  Indeed,  he  was  too  humble  to  disregard  what  others  said 
of  him.  On  the  other  hand,  no  man  yielded  less  to  the  fear  of  opinions 
growing  out  of  enmity  to  God,  love  of  sin,  prejudice,  or  self-seeking. 
If  he  ever  manifested  any  harshness,  it  was  when  brought  in  contact  with 
states  of  mind  thus  originated. 

"Probably  the  controlling  element  of  his  religious  character  was  rev 
erence  for  God.  It  was  under  the  influence  of  this  sentiment  that  he 
uttered  the  most  thrilling  denunciations  of  sin ;  that  the  cross  inspired 
his  noblest  strains  of  eloquence ;  that  his  soul  was  wrapt  in  wonder  at 
the  love,  humiliation,  and  condescension  of  the  Trinity,  in  the  purpose, 
execution,  and  application  of  redemption  ;  and  it  was  this  that  gave  the 


566  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THORN  WELL. 

promises  of  the  gospel  their  highest  preciousness  to  his  heart.  He  was 
emphatically  a  worshipper  ;  not  an  admirer  merely,  but  a  worshipper  of 
God  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word.  To  him  happiness  lay  in  com 
munion  with  God,  and  in  working  for  God.  Of  the  two  great  departments 
of  human  work,  the  receptive  and  the  distributive,  it  is  hard  to  say  in 
which  he  took  the  most  delight,  or  was  the  most  successful.  He  received 
eagerly,  that  he  might  give  largely ;  and  in  giving,  he  seemed  to  open 
inestimable  treasures  of  truth  in  the  fathomless  depths  of  his  soul. 
Unwearied  as  he  was  in  investigating,  faithful  and  judicious  in  appro 
priating,  original  and  vigorous  in  creating,  he  was  as  disinterested  and 
cordial  in  distributing  the  results  of  his  individual  efforts,  made  precious 
by  the  impress  of  his  own  nature,  and  by  being  set  off  with  gems  taken 
from  the  abyss  of  his  own  mighty  mind.  Dr.  Thornwell  was  great  as  a 
receiver,  great,  as  a  giver,  and  great  in  his  profound  humility  before 
God. 

"The  only  discovery  he  made  in  the  pulpit  of  his  wonderful  attain 
ments  in  metaphysics  and  logic,  was  by  the  superior  force  and  clear 
ness  with  which  he  expounded  the  Scriptures,  and  presented  gospel 
truth.  His  subjects,  and  his  treatment  of  them,  were  always  evangeli 
cal  and  Pauline.  No  man  ever  more  fully  placed  the  cross  between 
himself  and  the  audience  than  he.  In  my  intercourse  with  him,  as 
a  student  and  a  co-pastor,  his  treatment  of  me  was  always  that  of  a 
most  affectionate  father,  with  one  exception :  this  was  a  continued 
protest  against  my  consideration  of  his  greatness,  in  the  division  of 
labour  and  responsibility.  Only  by  a  stubborn  refusal  on  my  part 
to  have  it  otherwise,  was  he  compelled  to  occupy  the  pulpit  every 
Sabbath  morning.  It  was  a  sad,  sad  day  to  me,  when,  with  words 
of  kind  commendation,  he  left  me  alone  in  charge  of  a  church  which 
had  been  most  highly  privileged.  Scarcely  could  I  feel  the  burden  of 
grief  to  be  heavier  in  the  day  I  heard  that  Dr.  Thornwell  was  dead." 


In  personal  appearance,  Dr.  Thornwell  was  of  medium 
stature,  of  spare  habit,  with  a  forehead  well  developed, 
but  not  ample;  the  features  of  his  face  small,  and  with  a 
carriage  of  the  body  rather  marked  by  negligence  than 
grace.  His  presence  could  not  be  described  as  com- 
maiiding;  yet  he  would  have  been  singled  out  from  a 
convention  of  men,  even  by  a  careless  observer.  His 
soft  black  hair,  falling  smoothly  over  his  brow;  his  re 
deeming  eye,'  deep-set  and  black,  and  capable  of  the  ut 
most  intensity  of  expression;  and  a  certain  air  of  ab 
straction  upon  his  countenance;  all  denoted  a  man  who 
was  to  be  separated  from  others.  When  in  repose,  there 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  567 

was  a  drooping  of  the  eye-lids  that  lent  a  dreamy  aspect 
to  his  face ;  but  even  then  the  eye  would  peer  forth  from 
the  overhanging  eaves  with  a  witchery  that  strangely 
fascinated.  But  when  in  full  mental  action,  rising  to  a 
climax  in  his  discourse,  his  lithe  form  expanded  and 
quivered,  the  eye  sparkled  with  a  gleam  such  as  the  soul 
alone  cart  give,  which  riveted  the  gaze,  until,  through  its 
liquid  depths,  you  seemed  to  go  down  into  the  cavern  of 
his  spirit,  from  which  the  unearthly  fire  came  that  lit  it 
up  as  an  orb  before  you.  In  manner,  he  was  quiet  and 
unassuming,  with  none  of  that  artificial  dignity  which 
needs  a  page  behind  it  to  hold  up  its  trail,  but  artless 
and  free  as  childhood  itself  in  his  intercourse  with  men. 

The  retirement  of  scholastic  life,  and  the  boundless  re 
sources  he  had  within  himself,  withdrew  him,  in  large 
measure,  from  general  intercourse  with  society.  His 
official  relations  sometimes  forced  him  from  this  seclu 
sion,  and  his  valuable  counsels  were  sought  by  many; 
yet  he  did  not  ordinarily  put  himself  forth  to  seek  com 
munion  with  the  bustlino-  world  around  him.  Thou<rh 

O  D 

by  no  means  an  ascetic,  and  with  warm  sympathies,  tak 
ing  hold  upon  life  on  every  side,  he  was  singularly  un 
obtrusive,  and  waited  for  the  occasion  which  should  draw 
him  out.  Whoever  desired,  might  freely  approach  him, 
sure  of  never  being  repelled  from  his  presence.  To 
strangers  he  was  always  reserved,  unless  known  to  him 
by  reputation,  or  endorsed  by  the  commendation  of  mu 
tual  friends.  This,  however,  was  only  to  allow  the 
opportunity  of  taking  their  measure,  and  ascertaining 
whether  they  would  be  congenial  or  otherwise.  If  the 
impression  was  favourable,  the  coldness  of  mere  polite 
ness  kindled  into  the  warmth  of  friendship,  and  his  heart 
went  out  with  his  hand.  He  was  never  influenced  by  the 
artificial  distinctions  of  society.  A  man  was  a  man  to 
him,  whatever  his  station  in  life  might  be.  He  looked 
beneath  the  stamp  of  the  guinea,  to  the  metal  of  which 
it  was  made.  Modesty,  humility,  sincerity,  were  quali- 


568  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOKNWELL. 

ties  that  always  attracted,  whilst  pretension  and  self- 
conceit  instantly  repelled.  He  enjoyed  the  encomiums 
of  his  friends,  in  whose  sincerity  he  confided;  but  the 
slightest  approach  to  flattery  or  sycophancy  filled  him 
with  disgust.  He  was,  therefore,  tolerant  of  other  men's 
opinions.  His  own  independence  of  thought,  and  sincere 
love  of  truth,  caused  him  to  respect  the  rights  of 'others  in 
this  regard ;  and  though  exceedingly  pronounced  in  the 
statement  of  his  own  convictions,  no  man  was  freer  from 
dogmatism,  in  the  offensive  sense  of  that  term.  Of  course, 
one  so  intense  as  he  could  not  be  wholly  independent  of 
his  prejudices;  and  some  allowance  had  to  be  made,  on 
this  account,  as  to  his  judgments  of  men.  Upon  abstract 
questions  of  truth  and  duty,  he  could  be  safely  relied  on ; 
but  he  was  so  far  swayed  by  his  affections,  that  he  was 
prone  to  overestimate  those  whom  he  loved;  and  per 
haps,  in  a  corresponding  degree,  to  depreciate  those 
whom  he  did  not  fancy.  But  he  was  incapable  of  any 
intentional  injustice,  even  in  his  thought. 

In  general  society,  for  which  he  had  a  confessed  aver 
sion,  he  was  thoughtful  and  silent,  rather  than  commu 
nicative.  But  in  the  circle  of  his  friends,  and  in  the 
bosom  of  his  family,  he  revealed  his  whole  nature.  En 
dowed  with  rare  conversational  powers,  he  emptied  his 
stores  of  learning,  and  discussed  his  favourite  topics  in 
philosophy;  or  dived  into  the  mysteries  of  religion,  and 
uttered  the  experiences  of  his  own  heart ;  or  else,  de 
scending  from  these  graver  themes,  he  sported  in  banter 
and  jest,  abounded  in  repartee,  and  diffused  the  glow  of 
his  genial  humour.  Full  of  anecdote,  and  fond  of  badi 
nage,  his  lighter  conversation  sparkled  with  wit,  pushed, 
sometimes,  to  excess,  unless  it  were  recognized  as  the 
recreation  of  a  mind  that  needed  to  unbend  itself,  and 
which  found  refreshment  only  in  the  easier  play  of  its  own 
powers.  He  was  an  inveterate  tease,  but  only  of  those 
whom  he  loved.  It  was  with  him  an  unfailing  mark  of 
confiding  friendship.  Those  whom  he  disliked,  he  treated 


GENERAL  REVIEW.  569 

with  distant  politeness,  but  those  honoured  with  his  es 
teem  were  bound  to  enter  the  lists  with  him  in  many  a 
fencing  match.  Sometimes  he  was  not  understood:  some- 

O  s 

times  the  jest  was  carried  too  far.  But  if  feelings  were 
ever  wounded,  the  amende  honourable  was  always  so  cor 
dial  as  to  restore  good  fellowship  at  once.  A  little  inci 
dent  will  serve  to  illustrate  both  traits.  Having  referred 
in  a  lecture  to  "  Kant's  Critique  of  Pure  Reason,"  a  mem 
ber  of  the  class  immediately  purchased  a  translation  of 
the  book.  After  puzzling  over  it  for  a  night,  and  finding 
that  it  spake  nothing  to  him,  he  sold  it  at  a  discount  to 
another  student;  and  thus  it  passed  in  quick  succession 
to  several  owners,  finally  at  less  than  half  the  cost.  Dr. 
Thornwell  enjoyed  the  story  hugely.  Meeting  the  first 

purchaser  he  accosted  him :   "  Well,  Brother ,  it 

took  me  weeks  of  hard  study  to  master  Kant,  but  1  un 
derstand  you  got  through  with  him  in  a  single  night." 
Stumbling  then  upon  the  last  purchaser,  he  exclaimed, 

"Well,   Brother ,  I   suppose   the   next   thing  we 

shall  hear  of  Kant,  will  be  that  you  have  sold  him  to  old 
man  Jack,"  (the  bell-ringer.)  This  was  a  little  too  hard. 
He  did  not  pause  to  think  that  the  raillery  had  now  put 
on  the  biting  edge  of  satire.  But  as  soon  as  informed  of 
the  pain  he  had  inflicted,  he  went  instantly  and  plucked 
out  the  sting  by  the  assurance  that  it  was  only  meant  as 
a  piece  of  good-humoured  pleasantry. 

Dr.  Thornwell's  affections  were  warm  and  endearing. 
Lifted  by  his  own  greatness  above  the  temptation  to  jeal 
ousy,  he  rejoiced  in  the  promotion  of  others.  Generous 
in  all  his  instincts,  there  was  no  sacrifice  he  would  not 
make  for  his  friends.  Indulgent  to  his  own  household, 
he  sought  to  make  life's  path  less  rugged  to  their  feet  by 
smoothing  over  every  disappointment,  not  permitting 
them  to  be  corroded  by  the  anxieties  of  earth.  Cherish 
ing  in  his  own  soul  the  utmost  loyalty  to  truth,  and  cer 
tain  of  her  ultimate  triumph,  he  was  not  soured  when 
thwarted  in  his  plans.  In  this  way,  the  dew  of  his  youth 


5  TO  LIFE  OF  JAMES  HENLEY  THOENWELL. 

was  never  exhaled.  He  remained  elastic  and  fresh  to 
the  last,  no  generous  sentiment  or  instinct  of  his  nature 
being  withered  by  age.  With  such  attributes,  he  had 
the  power  of  all  truly  gieat  men,  of  magnetizing  those 
brought  under  his  influence;  and  it  must  have  been  a 
very  strong,  or  a  very  feeble  nature,  that  did  not  yield  to 
his  attraction.  He  bound  his  friends  to  him  by  cords  of 
love,  which  death  itself  has  been  unequal  to  break. 

"He  was  one, 

The  truest  mannered  ;  such  a  holy  witch, 
That  he  enchants  societies  unto  him  j 
Half  all  men's  hearts  were  his." 

Such  wras  the  man  whom  the  Church  of  God  has  not 
yet  ceased  to  mourn;  such  a  man  as  Mr.  Carlyle  de 
scribes,  "a  great  thinker,  who  taught  other  men  his  way 
of  thought,  and  spread  the  shadow  of  his  own  likeness 
•over  sections  of  the  world's  history."  One  so  brave,  so 
generous,  so  true,  that  admiration  for  his  genius  was  lost 
in  affection  for  the  man.  Alas  !  that  death  should  have 
power  to  crush  out  such  a  life  !  Should  an  epitaph  be 
needed  for  his  tomb,  it  might  be  inscribed  in  the  lines 
of  .^Eschylus  : 


0[)  yap  doxetv  aptaroz,  cU/  ^elvat  OeAsc. 
iv  aXoxa  dtcf. 


TCI 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX. 


No.  I. 
CEITICAL  NOTICE. 

EVILS  or  DISUNION  :  A  Discourse,  delivered  on  Thanksgiving  Day,  De 
cember  12,  1850.  By  EGBERT  DAVIDSON,  D.  D.,  Pastor  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.  J.  Terhune  &  Son ; 
1850 ;  pp.  15. 

THE  AMEKICAN  UNION  :  A  Discourse,  delivered  on  Thursday,  December 
12,  1850,  the  Day  of  the  Annual  Thanksgiving  in  Pennsylvania :  and 
repeated  on  Sunday,  December  15,  in  the  Tenth  Presbyterian  Church, 
Philadelphia.  By  HENRY  A.  BOARDMAN,  D.  D.  Third  thousand.  Phila 
delphia  :  Lippincott,  Grambo  &  Co. ,  successors  to  Grigg,  Elliott  &  Co. ; 
1851 ;  pp.  56. 

THE  AMERICAN  CITIZEN  :  A  Discourse  on  the  Nature  and  Extent  of  our 
Religious  Subjection  to  the  Government  under  which  we  live  ;  includ 
ing  an  Inquiry  into  the  Scriptural  Authority  of  that  Provision  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  which  requires  the  Surrender  of 
Fugitive  Slaves.  Delivered  in  the  Rutgers  Street  Presbyterian  Church, 
in  the  city  of  New  York,  on  Thanksgiving  Day,  December  12,  1850; 
and  afterwards,  at  their  request,  as  a  Lecture  before  the  Young  Men's 
Associations  of  Albany  and  Waterford,  N.  Y.,  on  January  14  and  15, 
1851.  By  JOHN  M.  KREBS,  D.  D.  New  York:  Charles  Scribner,  145 
Nassau  Street,  and  36  Park  Row ;  1851 ;  pp.  40.  • 

"THE  HIGHER  LAW,"  IN  ITS  APPLICATION  TO  THE  FUGITIVE  SLAVE  BILL  : 
A  Sermon  on  the  Duties  Men  owe  to  God  and  to  Governments.  De 
livered  at  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church,  on  Thanksgiving  Day. 
By  JOHN  C.  LORD,  D.  D.,  (Pastor  of  said  Church,)  author  of  Lectures 
on  Government  and  Civilization.  Buffalo  :  George  H.  Derby  &  Co.  ; 
185 L;  pp.32. 

A  SEBMON  ON  THE  DUTY  OF  CITIZENS,  WITH  RESPECT  TO  THE  FUGITIVE 
SLAVE  LAW.     By  G.  F.  KITTELL,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Society, 
Poughkeepsie.     White  Plains,  N.  Y.  :    Eastern  State  Journal  print; 
1851 ;  pp.  20. 
IT  is  not  our  design  to  criticise  the  sermons  enumerated  above.    They 

are  all  able,  bold,  and  manly;  and  1  hough  some  of  them  contain  senti- 

573 


574:  APPENDIX. 

* 

ments  to  winch  we  cannot  subscribe,  yet  the  general  spirit  of  all  of  them 
meets  our  most  cordial  approbation.  We  sympathize  with  our  brethren 
at  the  North  in  their  laudable  and  Christian  efforts  to  arrest  an  agitation 
which  aims  alike  at  the  destruction  of  the  Government  and  the  sub 
version  of  religion.  At  the  present  crisis,  a  perilous  responsibility  rests 
upon  the  non-slaveholding  States  of  this  Union.  It  is  for  them  to  say 
whether  the  conditions  of  our  Federal  compact  shall  be  faithfully  ob 
served,  and  the  Union  preserved  in  its  integrity,  or  whether  the  Southern 
States  shall  be  driven,  in  vindication  of  their  rights,  their  honour,  and 
their  safety,  to  organize  a  distinct  Government  for  themselves.  We  be 
lieve  it  to  be  in  the  power  of  the  North  to  save  the  country.  The  South 
demands  nothing  but  justice.  She  simply  insists  that  the  Federal  Gov 
ernment  shall  not  take  sides  on  the  question  of  slavery.  It  must  not 
attempt  either  to  repress  or  to  spread  it.  The  Constitution  is  a  solemn 
compact  between  the  States,  and  the  powers  delegated  in  it  to  the  gen 
eral  Government  cannot,  without  the  grossest  ill  faith,  be  prostituted  to 
the  injury  or  destruction  of  the  peculiar  institutions  of  any  of  the  par 
ties.  The  Constitution  knows  no  difference  betwixt  slaveholding  and 
non-slaveholding  States ;  and  neither  Congress  nor  the  Executive  pos 
sesses  a  shadow  of  right  to  take  any  steps  that  shall  have  the  effect  of 
determining  whether  new  territories,  the  common  property  of  all  the 
States,  shall  or  shall  not  exclude  slavery,  when  they  are  prepared  to  be 
admitted  into  the  Union.  What  their  relation  to  this  subject  shall  be, 
is  a  question  that  must  be  left  to  the  providence  of  God.  The  soil  should 
be  kept  open  to  any  emigrants  from  any  section  of  the  Confederacy. 
The  constitutional  provisions  in  reference  to  the  admission  of  new  States 
should  be  carefully  observed ;  and  when  they  are  complied  with,  it  must 
be  left  to  the  people  of  the  territories  to  frame  their  constitution  for 
themselves.  If  these  principles  had  been  adhered  to  in  the  past  legis 
lation  of  Congress,  there  would  have  been  no  agitation  now  in  the 
Southern  States  of  the  Union.  What  they  complain  of  is,  that  the  in 
fluence  of  the  Government  is  turned  against  them  ;  that,  instead  of  pre 
serving  the  absolute  neutrality  which  it  is  bound  in  good  faith  to  main 
tain,  it  takes  sides  \yth  one  section  of  the  Union  to  the  injury  of  the 
other,  and  perverts  its  trust  to  cripple  and  circumscribe  the  institution 
of  slavery.  The  North  pleads  its  conscientious  convictions  that  slavery 
is  wrong,  and  ought  to  be  curtailed  and  abolished.  Free-soilism  falls 
back  upon  conscience,  and  protests  that  it  cannot,  without  sinning 
against  God,  leave  it  an  open  question,  whether  this  prodigious  evil  shall 
be  extended  or  not.  We  cheerfully  concede  that  there  is  a  higher  law 
than  the  law  of  man,  and  that,  when  human  legislation  contravenes  the 
authority  of  God,  it  should  not  be  permitted  to  bind  the  conscience.  If 
slavery  is  necessarily  a  sin,  no  statutes  or  ordinances  of  earth  can  make 
it  right,  and  no  human  enactments  can  make  it  obligatory  to  sanction  or 
sustain  it.  But  then  it  would  be  the  duty  of  the  Northern  States,  enter 
taining  this  opinion,  to  dissolve  the  Union  themselves.  They  are  crim 
inal  in  remaining  parties  to  a  contract  which,  in  their  judgment,  is  a 


CRITICAL  NOTICE.  575 

snare  to  their  consciences.  If  they  cannot,  consistently  with  their  con 
victions  of  duty,  maintain  the  neutrality  which  the  Federal  Constitution 
requires ;  if  they  cannot,  in  other  words,  observe  the  conditions  which 
they  have  voluntarily  agreed  to  observe ;  they  ought,  in  all  frankness 
and  candour,  to  withdraw  from  the  contract,  and  openly  proclaim  that 
it  is  at  an  end  with  them.  They  are  certainly  entitled  to  their  opinions 
npon  this  or  any  other  subject.  But  they  are  not  at  liberty  to  make  a 
treaty  which  they  believe  to  be  sinful,  and  to  enjoy  its  advantages 
without  complying  with  the  stipulated  terms.  We  are  glad  that  a  move 
ment  has  been  made  at  the  North  to  exhibit,  in  its  true  light,  the  rela 
tion  of  the  general  Government  to  slavery.  Fanaticism  may  be  relent 
less,  but  the  body  of  the  people,  we  trust,  will  be  brought  to  see  and 
feel  that  good  faith  requires  them,  either  to  withdraw  from  the  Union 
themselves,  or  to  observe  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution.  Sober  re-' 
flection  must  convince  them  that,  whether  slavery  be  right  or  wrong, 
they  are  not  responsible  for  its  diffusion  through  the  territories.  These 
territories  accrue  to  us  under  the  Union  and  the  Constitution.  The 
North  possesses  no  power  over  them  as  the  North,  as  uon-slaveholding 
States,  but  only  as  members  of  the  Confederacy ;  and  if  the  terms  of 
the  Confederacy  are  such  as  to  deny  to  them  the  power  of  interfering 
with  this  subject,  their  consciences  should  not  be  pressed  for  not  doing 
what  they  have  no  right  to  do.  They  must  also  see  that  there  is  really 
no  guilt  in  making  a  contract,  which,  at  the  utmost,  only  leaves  them 
stripped  of  a  power,  of  which  it  found  them  destitute.  If  they  had  surren 
dered  the  right  to  exclude  slavery  from  'these  regions,  their  minds  might 
be  troubled.  But  they  never  had  it ;  and  the  Constitution  simply  leaves 
them  as  they  were.  The  North,  therefore,  should  not  feel  itself  bur 
dened  in  the  slightest  degree  with  the  guilt  of  this  sin.  Much  less 
should  it  undertake  to  wield  an  influence  which  it  has  acquired  under, 
and  by  virtue  of,  the  Constitution  to  subvert  the  purposes  of  the  Con 
stitution  itself.  We  would  affectionately  urge,  therefore,  npon  our 
Northern  brethren,  the  necessity  and  duty  of  allaying  this  agitation.  If 
they  love  the  Union,  let  them  cherish  the  Constitution  of  our  fathers. 
They  deplore  the  dangers  which  threaten  it ;  let  them  see  to  it,  that,  so 
far  as  they  are  concerned,  these  dangers  are  averted.  Let  the  aboli 
tionists  and.  free-soilers  be  rebuked,  and  peape  and  harmony  will  be  re 
stored  to  the  country. 

For  ourselves,  we  confess  that  we  cannot  calmly  contemplate  the  pro 
bability  of  such  an  event  as  the  dissolution  of  this  great  confederacy. 
That  it  can  be  broken  up  without  strong  convulsions,  without  dangers  and 
disasters  on.  all  sides,  we  do  not  believe  to  be  possible.  The  contentions 
of  brothers  are  like  the  bars  of  a  castle  :  when  once  the  elements  begin 
to  dissolve,  no  human  calculation  can  determine  where  the  process  shall 
stop.  There  is  no  natural  reason  why  there  should  be  only  two  con 
federations,  a  Northern  and  Soxithern,  any  more  than  three  or  a  dozen. 
Let  the  South  draw  off ;  why  not  the  West,  also  ?  Why  not  the  States  in 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi  form  a  separate  confederacy,  and  California 


576  APPENDIX. 

still  another  ?  It  may  be  easy  in  our  closets  to  speculate  upon  the  policy 
which  the  interests  involved  would  dictate ;  but  when  masses  are  set  in 
motion,  and  innovations  are  begun,  all  experience  shows  that  passion, 
not  reason,  rules  the  day.  The  destruction  of  a  settled  order,  of  old 
and  tried  institiitions,  is  like  the  upheaving  of  an  earthquake.  The 
forces  at  work  are  tremendous ;  but  no  one  can  predict  their  course  or 
results  until  their  fury  has  subsided.  We  have  always  associated  the 
idea  of  a  high  and  glorious  vocation  with  the  planting  of  this  Republic. 
We  have  thought  that  we  could  trace  the  finger  of  God  in  every  stage 
of  its  history.  We  have  looked  upon  it  as  destined  to  be  a  blessing  to 
mankind.  Placed  between  Europe  and  Asia,  in  the  very  centre  of  the 
earth,  with  the  two  great  oceans  of  the  globe  acknowledging  its  domin 
ion  ;  entering  upon  its  career  at  the  very  period  of  the  history  of  the 
world,  most  eminently  adapted  to  accelerate  its  progress,  and  to  diffuse 
its  influence,  it  seems  to  us  to  be  commissioned  from  the  skies  as  the 
apostle  of  civilization,  liberty,  and  Christianity  to  all  the  race  of  man. 
We  cannot  relinquish  the  idea  of  this  lofty  mission;  we  HAVE  BEEN 
called  to  it ;  and  if,  in  our  folly  and  wickedness,  we  refuse  to  walk 
worthily  of  it,  we  may  righteously  expect,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary 
disasters  of  revolution,  the  extraordinary  retributions  of  God.  Ours 
will  be  no  common  punishment,  as  it  will  be  no  common  sin,  if,  instead 
of  obeying  the  command  which  requires  us  to  be  a  blessing  to  the  world, 
we  exhaust  our  resources,  and  waste  our  advantages,  in  biting  and  de 
vouring  each  other.  We  cannot  sympathize  with  the  light  and  flippant 
tone  in  which  the  question  of  the  value  of  the  Union  is  too  often  ap 
proached,  as  if  it  were  a  mere  question  of  ordinary  politics.  To  our 
minds  it  is  the  most  serious,  solemn,  and  momentous  that  can  be  asked 
in  connection  with  the  earthly  interests  of  man.  To  dissolve  this  Union 
is  to  jeopard  all  that  our  fathers  gained,  and  to  cover  in  midnight  dark 
ness  the  prospects  and  destiny  of  our  own  posterity.  We  tremble  at  the 
thought,  and  if  it  must  perish,  we  freely  confess  that  our  tears  shall  be 
dew  its  grave  ;  and  our  hopes  for  liberty  and  man  be  buried  with  it. 

But  the  Union  is  the  creature  of  the  Constitution.  The  destruction 
of  one  is,  and  must  be,  sooner  or  later,  the  destruction  of  the  other. 
The  guilt  of  dissolving  it  must  rest  upon  those  who  trample  the  Consti 
tution  in  the  dust.  . 

There  are  two  quarters  from  which  the  Confederacy  is  at  present 
threatened,  but  threatened  on  very  different  grounds.  The  first  is  from 
those  who  are  opposed  to  slavery,  and  would  prostitute  the  powers  of  the 
general  Government  to  their  own  fanatical  ends.  They  repudiate  the 
Constitution  as  conniving  at  sin  ;  and  their  exasperation  has  risen  to  the 
height  of  actual  rebellion,  in  consequence  of  the  law  passed  at  the  last 
session  of  Congress,  for  the  recovery  of  fugitive  slaves.  These  men  are 
confessed  conspirators  against  the  Government ;  they  strike  at  that  which 
gives  it  its  very  life,  the  Constitution  of  the  land.  The  other  party  con 
sists  of  those  who  believe  that  the  Constitution  has  been  systematically 
-violated  by  the  non-slaveholding  States  ;  that  the  contract  which  made  the 


CRITICAL  NOTICE.  577 

Union  has  been  broken ;  and  that  there  is  not  only  no  obligation  any 
longer  to  adhere  to  it,  but  that  the  danger  of  further  aggressions  is  so 
great,  that  it  is  a  duty  to  withdraw  from  it. 

In  reference  to  the  opposition  from  these  quarters,  we  have  a  few  re 
marks  to  make.  "We  would  say  first  to  the  North,  that  she  owes  it  to 
mankind  to  see  that  all  just  ground  of  complaint,  as  far  as  she  is  con 
cerned,  is  removed.  If  she  has  thrown  obstructions  in  the  way  of  faith 
fully  carrying  out  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution ;  if  she  has,  in  any 
degree,  broken  her  faith,  posterity  will  not  acquit  her  of  undervaluing 
the  Union,  however  loudly  she  may  vociferate  its  praise.  To  love  the 
Union  is  to  love  the  Constitution.  Let  her  see  to  it,  that  no  stipulations 
of  the  charter  are  disregarded  by  her ;  or  if  they  have  been  heretofore, 
let  her  be  prompt  to  retrace  her  steps.  This  would  be  manly,  noble, 
heroic.  It  would  be  a  patriotism  for  which  she  would  never  suffer. 
Let  her  not  poise  herself  upon  her  power ;  good  faith  is  a  surer  safe 
guard. 

We  would  say  to  the  South,  that  her  first  movement  should  be  to 
restore  the  Constitution  to  its  supremacy.  We  do  not  think  that  it  is 
wisdom  suddenly  to  destroy  a  government,  because  it  has  been  per 
verted.  If  good  in  itself,  if  the  evils  are  abuses  and  essential  elements 
of  the  system,  the  effort  to  rectify  and  cure  is  worthy  of  an  experiment. 
What  surgeon  would  amputate  a  limb  until  he  was  convinced  that  it  was 
the  last  resort  ?  To  our  minds  the  dissolution  of  the  Union  is  the  last 
desperate  remedy  for  the  disorders  of  the  government.  Until  all  other 
probable  expedients  have  failed,  we  cannot  be  justified  in  the  eyes  of 
God  or  of  the  race,  in  demolishing  a  fabric  which  Providence  contribu 
ted  so  conspicuously  to  rear,  which  is  hallowed  by  a  thousand  associa 
tions,  cemented  by  illustrious  blood,  a  temple  of  liberty  in  which  our 
fathers  worshipped,  and  which  all  nations  have  honoured.  Let  us  never 
pull  it  down,  until  it  has  become  utterly  unclean,  and  freedom  is  driven 
from  its  sanctuary.  The  pollutions  of  the  money-changers  and  traders 
can  be  cleansed;  we  may  be  able  to  upset  their  tables  and  to  drive 
them  out ;  and  may  still  make  the  edifice  what  it  was  originally  designed 
to  be.  Patience  and  effort  in  restoring  the  Government  to  what  it  should 
be,  is  not  submission  to  wrong ;  it  is  resistance,  the  resistance  which 
wisdom  justifies  and  conscience  will  approve.  The  attempt  to  heal  a 
disease  is  not  acquiescence  in  its  progress.  If  the  Union  of  the  Consti 
tution  is,  indeed,  glorious— as  all  confess  that  it  is— it  is  not  slavish 
timidity,  it  is  the  real  love  of  liberty,  which  prompts  us  to  labour  for  its 
preservation,  until  our  labours  shall  be  found  to  be  hopeless.  When  we 
are  driven  to  despair  of  the  Republic,  and  not  till  then,  shall  we  be  justi 
fied  in  withdrawing.  As  to  the  charge  of  pusillanimous  tameness  to 
which  such  a  policy  may  subject  us,  we  can  only  reply,  in  the  words 
-cf  Thucydides: 

"As  for  that  slowness  and  dilatoriness  with  which  you  have  heard 
/ourselves  upbraided,  they  flow  from  those  institutions  of  our  ancestors, 


578  APPENDIX. 

which  teach  us,  in  public  as  in  private  life,  to  be  modest,  prudent,  and 
just.'r 

From  this  same  noble  speech,  which  this  prince  of  historians  puts  in 
the  mouth  of  Archidamus,  we  would  commend  to  the  young  and  im 
petuous,  who  are  naturally  much  more  inclined  to  follow  the  counsel  of 
Sthenelaidus,  the  following  salutary  caution : 

"  If  any  spur  us  on  by  panegyric  to  perilous  adventures,  disapproved 
by  our  judgment,  we  are  little  moved  with  their  flattery ;  nor  if  any  one 
were  to  stimulate  us  by  reproach,  would  indignation  be  at  all  more  likely 
to  make  us  alter  our  determination.  By  this  orderly  sedateness  we  are 
both  brave  in  combat,  and  prudent  in  counsel." 

But  while  we  would  make  every  effort  which  wisdom  and  partiotism 
would  demand  to  save  the  Constitution  and  the  Union,  we  are  free  to 
confess  that,  when  the  issue  is  forced  upon  us,  of  submitting  to  a  govern 
ment  hopelessly  perverted  from  its  ends,  and  aiming  at  the  destruction 
of  our  own  interests,  it  will  be  our  duty,  as  it  is  our  right,  to  provide 
for  ourselves.  The  Continual  agitation  of  the  slavery  question  must, 
sooner  or  later,  bring  matters  to  this  issue.  The  Southern  States  will 
not  abandon  their  institutions.  This  is  certain  as  fate.  Their  patience 
is  now  almost  exhausted,  and  unless  their  constitutional  rights  are 
respected,  they  will  set  up  for  themselves.  This  Union  must  fall,  and 
they  will  lift  up  their  hands  to  heaven,  and  declare  that  they  are  clear  of 
its  blood.  The  guilt  of  the  long  train  of  untold  evils  that  must  follow 
the  catastrophe,  they  will  honestly  believe  rests  not  upon  them.  God 
grant  that  our  country  may  be  saved;  that  the  North  and  the  South 
may  be  brought  to  meet  in  harmony  and  peace,  upon  the  common 
ground  of  our  glorious  Constitution  ;  that  a  common  ancestry,  a  common 
history,  a  common  language,  a  common  religion,  may  do  their  office  in 
cementing  them  together,  and  binding  them  in  the  indissoluble  bonds 
of  truth,  justice,  and  fraternal  love. 

"We  have  but  a  single  word  further  to  add,  and  that  is  a  protest 
against  the  policy  which  our  own  beloved  State  seems  intent  upon  pur 
suing.  Single-handed  secession,  which  is  understood  to  be  the  aim  of 
the  measures  now  in  progress,  however  it  might  be  justified  in  a  crisis 
in  which  the  Federal  Government  had  become  openly  pledged  to  the 
extinction  of  slavery,  under  the  present  circumstances  of  our  country,  is 
recommended  by  not  a  single  consideration  that  we  are  able  to*  discover, 
of  wisdom,  patriotism,  or  honour.  No  master  mind  among  those  who  < 
are  driving  us  to  this  issue  has  yet  arisen,  to  throw  a  particle  of  light 
upon  the  thick  darkness  which  shrouds  the  future,  and  covers  the  conse 
quences  of  this  tremendous  step.  They  all  -tell  us  how  we  may  secede, 
but  not  one  has  told  us,  not  one  can  tell  us,  where  we  shall  next  find  our 
selves.  No  one  has  yet  explained  to  us  how  the  institution  of  slavery 
will  be  more  efficiently  protected,  by  making  us  and  our  children  aliens 
upon  this  broad  continent,  than  it  is  by  the  flag  of  the  Republic.  Shall 
we  be  more  exempt  from  Northern  fanaticism,  when  every  check  is 


CRITICAL  NOTICE. 


579 


removed  from  its  machinations  and  contrivances ;  from  British  inter 
ference,  when  we  have  nothing  to  lean  on  but  our  own  arms?  Will 
slavery  be  safer  when  South  Carolina  can  throw  no  shield  but  her  own 
around  the  institution,  than  when  the  Constitution  protects  us?  We 
confess  that  we  cannot  see  How  we  shall  gain  in  security  from  the  pros 
tration  of  the  Union.  A  single  State,  like  South  Carolina,  standing  out 
alone  in  the  midst  of  a  mighty  nation,  can  only  exist  by  sufferance. 

But  it  is  said  she  will  not  be  alone.  The  other  States,  identified  with 
her  in  interests,  will  join  with  her  in  action.  But  what  if  the  other 
Southern  States  shoiild  happen  to  believe  that  their  interests  are  better 
promoted  by  the  old  Union,  than  by  a  new  alliance  with  South  Carolina? 
They  must  judge  for  themselves,  and  if  they  should  happen  to  have  a 
judgment  of  this  sort,  where  shall  we  then  be  ?  Would  it  not  be  wise,  at 
least,  to  have  some  better  proof  than  our  own  conjectures  that  they  will 
sustain  us  ?  They  might  leave  us  alone  ;  and  in  that  contingency,  who 
can  say  that  our  condition  would  be  enviable.  We  should  then  have  a 
national  government  to  maintain,  an  extensive  post-office  establishment 
to  organize,  an  army,  a  navy,  foreign  ambassadors,  and  all  the  append 
ages  of  independent  States,  to  keep  up.  Has  nny  one  calculated  our 
resources  for  these  things ;  and  does  any  man  believe  that  our  popula 
tion  would  stick  to  us  for  ten  years,  after  their  passions  had  subsided, 
under  the  grinding  system  of  taxation  which  it  would  be  necessary  to 
institute  ?  Then,  again,  we  must  be  fully  prepared  for  war,  which  is  a 
business  less  of  arms  than  expense.  Touching  the  United  States  in  so 
many  points  as  we  must  necessarily  do,  however  pacific  the  disposition 
of  the  Federal  Government  might  be  towards  us,  hostilities  would  inevi 
tably  arise  from  our  diplomatic  relations  to  the  other  States,  and  that 
speedily  and  suddenly.  These  are  matters  which  ought  to  be  well  con 
sidered  before  we  resolve  upon  so  important  a  step  as  single-handed 
secession.  The  truth  is,  we  can  see  nothing  in  the  measure  but  defeat 
and  disaster,  insecurity  to  slavery,  oppression  to  ourselves,  ruin  to  the 
State.  There  are  other  aspects  in  which  the  question  might  be  treated ; 
but  in  every  aspect  of  it  we  feel  bound  to  express  our  solemn  conviction 
that,  neither  before  God  nor  man,  can  we  justify  ourselves  for  the  fear 
ful  hazard  of  forfeiting  all  our  blessings,  and  all  our  influence  for  good, 
by  a  hasty  leap  in  the  dark.  We  speak -earnestly  on  the  subject,  because 
we  feel  strongly.  There  may  be  great  boldness  in  the  enterprise,  but 
it  should  be  remembered,  as  Lord  Bacon  has  well  expressed  it,  that  bold 
ness  is  blind ;  wherefore  it  is  ill  in  counsel,  but  good  in  execution.  For 
in  counsel,  it  is  good  to  see  dangers ;  in  execution,  not  to  see  them  ex 
cept  they  be  very  great.  Certainly,  when  we  cannot  see  our  way,  we 
should  go  softly.  From  present  appearances,  we  think  it  likely  that 
South  Carolina  will  secede  alone.  We  expect  to  bear  our  full  pro 
portion  of  the  consequent  evils.  We  are  not  only  in  the  State,  but 
of  the  State,  and  we  have  no  thought  but  that  of  sharing  her  for 
tunes.  If  we  were  disposed,  we  are  rather  too  heavily  encumbered 
to  flee  from  the  storm.  Others  may  be  noisy  for  revolution,  whose 


580  APPENDIX. 

armour  is  light  enough  to  admit  of  an  easy  transportation ;  who  have 
come  to  us  from  abroad,  and  who  can  as  easily  depart.  But  for  our 
selves,  we  are  linked  to  South  Carolina,  for  weal  or  for  woe.  As  long 
as  our  voice  can  be  heard,  we  shall  endeavour  to  avert  calamity  ;  but  if 
what  we  regard  as  rash  counsels  finally  prevail,  we  have  made  up  our 
mind,  as  God  shall  give  us  grace,  to  take  what  comes. 


No.  II. 
OUR  DAMPER  AND  OUR  DUTY. 


The  intense  feelings  under  which  Dr.  Thornwell  composed  this  appeal  to  his 
Southern  countrymen  are  evinced  in  the  headings  of  almost  all  the  pages  of 
the  first  draft :  "  The  Crisis  !— the  Crisis  ! !— the  Crisis ! ! !  " 


THE  ravages  of  Louis  XIV  in  the  beautiful  valleys  of  the  Rhine,  about 
the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  may  be  taken  as  a  specimen  of  the 
appalling  desolation  which  is  likely  to  overspread  the  Confederate  States 
if  the  Northern  army  should  succeed  in  its  schemes  of  subjugation  and  of 
plunder.  Europe  was  then  outraged  by  atrocities  inflicted  by  Christians 
upon  Christians,  more  fierce  and  cruel  than  even  Mahometans  could 
have  had  the  heart  to  perpetrate.  Private  dwellings  were  razed  to  the 
ground,  fields  laid  waste,  cities  burnt,  churches  demolished,  and  the 
fruits  of  industry  wantonly  and  ruthlessly  destroyed.  But  three  days  of 
grace  were  allowed  to  the  wretched  inhabitants  to  flee  their  country ; 
and  in  a  short  time,  the  historian  tells  us,  "the  roads  and  fields,  which 
then  lay  deep  in  snow,  were  blackened  by  innumerable  multitudes  of 
men,,  women,  and  children,  flying  from  their  homes.  Many  died  of  cold 
and  hunger;  but  enough  survived  to  fill  the  streets  of  all  the  cities  of 
Europe  with  lean  and  squalid  beggars,  who  had  once  been  thriving 
farmers  and  shopkeepers."  And  what  have  we  to  expect  if  our  enemies 
prevail  ?  Our  homes,  too,  are  to  be  pillaged  ;  our  cities  sacked  and  de 
molished  ;  our  property  confiscated ;  our  true  men  hanged,  and  those 
who  escape  the  gibbet,  to  be  driven  as  vagabonds  and  wanderers  in  for 
eign  climes.  This  beautiful  country  is  to  pass  out  of  our  hands.  The 
boundaries  which  mark  our  States  are,  in  some  instances,  to  be  effaced ; 
and  the  States  that  remain  are  to  be  converted  into  subject  provinces, 
governed  by  Northern  rulers  and  by  Northern  laws.  Our  property  is  to 
be  ruthlessly  seized,  and  turned  over  to  mercenary  strangers,  in  order  to 
pay  the  enormous  debt  which  our  subjugation  has  cost.  Our  wives  and 
daughters  are  to  become  the  prey  of  brutal  lust.  The  slave,  too,  will 
slowly  pass  away,  as  the  red  man  did  before  himj  under  the  protection 
of  Northern  philanthropy ;  and  the  wrhole  country,  now  like  the  garden 
of  Eden  in  beauty  and  fertility,  will  first  be  a  blackened  and  smoking 
desert,  and  then  the  minister  of  Northern  cupidity  and  avarice.  Our 

581 


582  APPENDIX. 

history  will  be  worse  than  that  of  Poland  and  Hungary.  There  is  not  a 
single  redeeming  feature  in  the  picture  of  ruin  which  stares  us  in  the 
face,  if  we  permit  ourselves  to  be  conquered.  It  is  a  night  of  thick 
darkness  that  will  settle  upon  us.  Even  sympathy,  the  last  solace  of  the 
afflicted,  will  be  denied  to  us.  The  civilized  world  will  look  coldly  upon 
us,  or  even  jeer  us  with  the  taunt  that  we  have  deservedly  lost  our  own 
freedom  in  seeking  to  perpetuate  the  slavery  of  others.  We  shall  perish 
under  a  cloud  of  reproach  and  of  unjust  suspicions,  sedulously  propa 
gated  by  our  enemies,  which  will  be  harder  to  bear  than  the  loss  of  home 
and  of  goods.  Such  a  fate  never  overtook  any  people  before. 

The  case  is  as  desperate  with  our  enemies  as  with  ourselves.  They 
must  succeed,  or  perish ;  they  must  conquer  us,  or  be  destroyed  them 
selves.  If  they  fail,  national  bankruptcy  stares  them  in  the  face  ;  divi 
sions  in  their  own  ranks  are  inevitable,  and  their  Government  will  fall 
to  pieces  under  the  weight  of  its  own  corruption.  They  know  that  they 
are  a  doomed  people  if  they  are  defeated.  Hence  their  madness.  They 
must  have  our  property  to  save  them  from  insolvency.  They  must  show 
that  the  Union  cannot  be  dissolved,  to  save  them  from  future  secessions. 
The  parties,  therefore,  in  this  conflict,  can  make  no  compromises.  It  is 
a  matter  of  life  and  death  with  both ;  a  struggle  in  which  their  all  is  in 
volved. 

But  the  consequences  of  success  on  our  part  will  be  very  different 
from  the  consequences  of  success  on  the  part  of  the  North.  If  they  pre 
vail,  the  whole  character  of  the  Government  will  be  changed,  and,  instead 
of  a  federal  republic,  the  common  agent  of  sovereign  and  independent 
States,  we  shall  have  a  central  despotism,  with  the  notion  of  States  for 
ever  abolished,  deriving  its  powers  from  the  will,  and  shaping  its  policy 
according  to  the  wishes,  of  a  numerical  majority  of  the  people ;  we  shall 
have,  in  other  words,  a  supreme,  irresponsible  democracy.  The  will  of 
the  North  will  stand  for  law.  The  Government  does  not  now  recognize 
itself  as  an  ordinance  of  God ;  and,  when  all  the  checks  and  balances  of 
the  Constitution  are  gone,  we  may  easily  figure  to  ourselves  the  career 
and  the  destiny  of  this  godless  monster  of  democratic  absolutism.  The 
progress  of  regulated  liberty  on  this  continent  will  be  arrested,  anarchy 
will  soon  succeed,  and  the  end  will  be  a  military  despotism,  which  pre 
serves  order  by  the  sacrifice  of  the  last  vestige  of  liberty.  We  are  fully 
persuaded  that  the  triumph  of  the  North  in  the  present  conflict  will  be 
as  disastrous  to  the  hopes  of  mankind  as  to  our  own  fortunes.  They  are 
now  fighting  the  battle  of  despotism.  They  have  put  their  Constitution 
under  their  feet ;  they  have  annulled  its  most  sacred  provisions  ;  and,  in 
defiance  of  its  solemn  guaranties,  they  are  now  engaged,  in  the  halls  of 
Congress,  in  discussing  and  maturing  bills  which  make  Northern  notions 
of  necessity  the  paramount  laws  of  the  land.  The  avowed  end  of  the 
present  war  is,  to  make  the  Government  a  government  of  force.  It  is 
to  settle  the  principle  that,  whatever  may  be  its  corruptions  and  abuses, 
however  unjust  and  tyrannical  its  legislation,  there  is  no  redress,  except 
in  vain  petition  or  empty  remonstrance.  It  was  as  a  protest  against  this 


OUR  DANGER  AND  OUR  DUTY.  583 

principle,  which  sweeps  away  the  last  security  for  liberty,  that  Virginia, 
North  Carolina,  Tennessee,  and  Missouri  seceded ;  and  if  the  Government 
should  be  re-established,  it  must  be  re-established  with  this  feature  of 
remorseless  despotism  firmly  and  indelibly  fixed.  The  future  fortunes 
of  our  children,  and  of  this  continent,  would  then  be  determined  by  a 
tyranny  which  has  no  parallel  in  history. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  are  struggling  for  constitutional  freedom.  We 
are  upholding  the  great  principles  which  our  fathers  bequeathed  us ;  and 
if  we  should  succeed,  and  become,  as  we  shall,  the  dominant  nation  of 
this  continent,  we  shall  perpetuate  and  diffuse  the  very  liberty  for  which 
V\"ashington  bled,  and  which  the  heroes  of  the  Kevolution  achieved.  "We 
are  not  revolutionists ;  we  are  resisting  revolution.  We  are  upholding 
the  true  doctrines  of  the  Federal  Constitution.  We  are  conservative. 
Our  success  is  the  triumph  of  all  that  has  been  considered  established 
in  the  past.  We  can  never  become  aggressive  ;  we  may  absorb,  but  we 
can  never  invade  for  conquest  any  neighbouring  State.  The  peace  of 
the  world  is  secured  if  our  arms  prevail.  We  shall  have  a  Government 
that  acknowledges  God,  that  reverences  right,  and  that  makes  law  supreme. 
Wi-  are  therefore  fighting,  not  for  ourselves  alone,  but,  when  the  strug 
gle  is  rightly  understood,  for  the  salvation  of  this  whole  continent.  It 
is  a  noble  cause  in  which  we  are  engaged.  There  is  everything  in  it  to 
rouse  the  heart  and  to  nerve  the  arm  of  the  freeman  and  the  patriot  ; 
and  though  it  may  now  seem  to  be  under  a  cloud,  it  is  too  big  with  the 
future  of  our  race  to  be  suffered  to  fail.  It  cannot  fail ;  it  must  not 
fail.  Our  people  must  not.brook  the  infamy  of  betraying  their  sublime 
trust.  This  beautiful  land  we  must  never  suffer  to  pass  into  the  hands 
of  strangers.  Our  fields,  our  homes,  our  firesides  and  sepulchres,  our 
cities  and  temples,  our  wives  and  daughters,  we  must  protect  at  every 
hazard.  The  glorious  inheritance  which  our  fathers  left  us  we  must 
never  betray.  The  hopes  with  which  they  died,  and  which  buoyed  their 
spirits  in  the  last  conflict,  of  making  their  country  a  blessing  to  the 
world,  we  must  not  permit  to  be  unrealized.  We  must  seize  the  torch 
from  their  hands,  and  transmit  it  with  increasing  brightness  to  distant 
generations.  The  word  failure  must  not  be  pronounced  among  us.  It 
is  not  a  thing  to  be  dreamed  of.  We  must  settle  it  that  we  must  suc 
ceed.  We  must  not  sit  down  to  count  chances.  There  is  too  much  at 
stake  to  think  of  discussing  probabilities.  We.  must  make  success  a 
certainty ;  and  that,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  we  can  do.  If  we  are  pre 
pared  to  do  our  duty,  and  our  whole  duty,  we  have  nothing  to  fear. 
But  what  is  our  duty  ?  This  is  a  question  which  we  must  gravely  con 
sider.  We  shall  briefly  attempt  to  answer  it. 

In  the  first  place,  we  must  shake  off  all  apathy,  and  become  fully  alive 
to  the  magnitude  of  the  crisis.  We  must  look  the  danger  in  the  face, 
and  comprehend  the  real  grandeur  of  the  issue.  We  shall  not  exert 
ourselves  until  we  are  sensible  of  the  need  of  effort.  As  long  , 
cherish  a  vague  hope  that  help  may  come  from  abroad,  or  that  there  is 
something  in  our  past  historj*,  or  the  genius  of  our  institutions,  to  pro- 


584:  APPENDIX. 

tect  us  from  overthrow,  we  are  hugging  a  fatal  delusion  to  our  bosoms.. 
This  apathy  was  the  ruin  of  Greece  at  the  time  of  the  Macedonian  inva 
sion.  This  was  the  spell  which  Demosthenes  laboured  so  earnestly  to 
break.  The  Athenian  was  as  devoted  as  ever  to  his  native  city,  and  the 
free  institutions  he  inherited  from  his  fathers ;  but  somehow  or  other  he 
could  not  believe  that  his  country  could  be  conquered.  He  read  its 
safety  in  its  ancient  glory.  He  felt  that  it  had  a  prescriptive  right  to 
live.  The  great  orator  saw  and  lamented  the  error ;  he  poured  forth  his 
eloquence  to  dissolve  the  charm ;  but  the  fatal  hour  had  come,  and  the 
spirit  of  Greece  could  not  be  roused.  There  was  no  more  real  patriotism! 
at  the  time  of  the  secoiid  Persian  invasion  than  in  the  age  of  Philip ; 
but,  then,  there  was  no  apathy.  Every  man  appreciated  the  danger ;  he  saw 
the  crash  that  was  coming,  and  prepared  himself  to  resist  the  blow.  He 
knew  that  there  was  no  safety  except  in  courage  and  in  desperate  effort. 
Every  man,  too,  felt  identified  with  the  State  ;  a  part  of  its  weight  rested 
on  his  shoulders.  It  was  this  sense  of  personal  interest  and  personal 
responsibility ;  the  profound  conviction  that  every  one  had  something  to 
do,,  and  that  Greece  expected  him  to  do  it.  This  was  the  public  spirit 
which  turned  back  the  countless  hordes  of  Xerxes,  and  saved  Greece  to 
liberty  and  man.  This  is  the  spirit  which  we  rrmst  have,  if  we,  too, 
would  succeed.  We  must  be  brought  to  see  that  all,  under  God,  depends 
on  ourselves;  and,  looking  away  from  ah1  foreign  alliances,  we  must 
make  up  our  minds  to  fight  desperately  and  fight  long,  if  we  would  save- 
the  country  from  ruin,  and  ourselves  from  bondage.  Every  man  should 
feel  that  he  has  an  interest  in  the  State,  and  that  the  State  in  a  measure 
leans  upon  him  ;  and  he  should  rouse  himself  to  efforts  as  bold  and  heroic- 
as  if  all  depended  on  his  single  right  arm.  Our  courage  should  rise  higher 
than  the  danger  ;  and,  whatever  may  be  the  odds  against  us,  we  must  sol 
emnly  resolve,  by  God's  blessing,  that  we  will  not  be  conquered.  When, 
with  a  full  knowledge  of  the  danger,  we  are  brought  to  this  point,  we- 
are  in  the  way  of  deliverance  ;  but  until  this  point  is  reached,  it  is  idle 
to  count  on  success. 

It  is  implied  in  the  spirit  which  the  times  demand,  that  all  private  in 
terests  are  sacrificed  to  the  public  good.  The  State  becomes  everything, 
and  the  individual  nothing.  It  is  no  time  to  be  casting  about  for  expe 
dients  to  enrich  ourselves.  The  man  who  is  now  intent  upon  moneyr 
who  turns  public  necessity  and  danger  into  means  of  speculation,  would, 
if  very  shame  did  not  rebuke  him,  and  he  were  allowed  to  follow  the 
natural  bent  of  his  heart,  go  upon  the  field  of  battle,  after  an  engage 
ment,  and  strip  the  lifeless  bodies  of  his  brave  countrymen  of  the  few 
spoils  they  carried  into  the  fight.  Such  men,  unfit  for  anything  gene 
rous  or  noble  themselves,  like  the  hyena,  can  only  suck  the  blood  of  the 
lion.  It  ought  to  be  a  reproach  to  any  man,  that  he  is  growing  rich 
while  his  country  is  bleeding  at  every  pore.  If  we  had  a  Themistocles 
among  us,  he  would  not  scruple  to  charge  the  miser  and  extortioner 
with  stealing  the  Gorgon's  head ;  he  would  search  their  stuff,  and  if 
he  could  not  find  that,  he  would  find  what  would  answer  his  country's- 


OUR  DANGER  AND  OUR  DUTY.  585 

needs  much  more  effectually.  This  spirit  must  be  rebuked ;  every  man 
must  forget  himself,  and  think  only  of  the  public  good. 

The  spirit  of  faction  is  even  more  to  be  dreaded  than  the  spirit  of 
avarice  and  plunder.  It  is  equally  selfish,  and  is,  besides,  distracting 
and  divisive.  The  man  who  now  labours  to  weaken  the  hands  of  the 
Government,  that  he  may  seize  the  reins  of  authority,  or  cavils  at  public 
measures  and  policy,  that  he  may  rise  to  distinction  and  office,  has  all 
the  selfishness  of  a  miser,  and  all  the  baseness  of  a  traitor.  Our  rulers 
are  not  infallible ;  but  their  errors  are  to  be  reviewed  with  candour,  and 
their  authority  sustained  with  unanimity.  Whatever  has  a  tendency  to 
destroy  public  confidence  in  their  prudence,  their  wisdom,  their  energy, 
and  their  patriotism,  undermines  the  security  of  our  cause.  We  must 
not  be  divided  and  distracted  among  ourselves.  Our  rulers  have  great 
responsibilities.  They  need  the  support  of  the  wliole  coxmtry ;  and  no 
thing  short  of  a  patriotism  which  buries  all  private  differences,  which  is 
ready  for  compromises  and  concessions,  which  can  make  charitable  al 
lowances  for  differences  of  opinion,  and  even  for  errors  of  judgment, 
can  save  us  from  the  consequences  of  party  and  faction.  We  must  be 
\mited.  If  our  views  are  not  carried  out,  let  us  sacrifice  private  opinion 
to  public  safety.  In  the  great  conflict  with  Persia,  Athens  yielded  to 
Sparta,  and  acquiesced  in  plans  she  could  not  approve,  for  the  sake  of 
the  public  good.  Nothing  could  be  more  dangerous  now  than  scrambles 
for  office  and  power,  and  collisions  among  the  different  departments  of 
the  Government.  We  must  present  a  united  front. 

It  is  further  important  that  every  man  should  be  ready  to  work.  It 
is  no  time  to  play  the  gentleman ;  no  time  for  dignified  leisure.  All 
cannot  serve  in  the  field ;  but  all  can  do  something  to  help  forward  the 
common  cause.  The  young  and  active,  the  stout  and  vigorous,  should 
be  prepared  at  a  moment's  warning  for  the  ranks.  The  disposition 
should  be  one  of  eagerness  to  be  employed ;  there  should  be  no  holding 
back,  no  counting  the -cost.  The  man  who  stands  back  from  the  ivmks 
in  these  perilous  times,  because  he  is  unwilling  to  serve  his  country  as 
a  private  soldier,  who  loves  his  ease  more  than  liberty,  his  luxuries  more 
than  his  honour,  that  man  is  a  dead  fly  in  our  precious  ointment.  In 
seasons  of  great  calamity,  the  ancient  pagans  were  accustomed  to  ap 
pease  the  anger  of  their  gods  by  human  sacrifices  ;  and  if  they  had  .gone 
upon  the  principle  of  selecting  those  whose  moral  insignificance  ren 
dered  them  alike  offensive  to  heaven  and  useless  to  earth,  they  would 
always  have  selected  these  drones,  and  loafers,  and  exquisites.  A 
Christian  nation  cannot  offer  them  in  sacrifice;  but  public  contempt 
shoxild  whip  them  from  their  lurking  holes,  and  compel  them  to  share 
the  common  danger.  The  community  that  will  cherish  such  men  with 
out  'rebuke,  brings  down  wrath  upon  it.  They  must  be  forced  to  be 
useful,  to  avert  the  judgments  of  God  from  the  patrons  of  cowardice 
and  meanness. 

Public  spirit  will  not  have  reached  the  height  which  the  exigency  de 
mands,  until  we  shall  have  relinquished  all  fastidious  notions  <»f  military 


586  APPENDIX. 

etiquette,  and  have  come  to  the  point  of  expelling  the  enemy  by  any  and 
every  means  that  God  has  put  in  our  power.  We  are  not  fighting  for 
military  glory ;  we  are  fighting  for  a  home,  and  for  a  national  existence. 
We  are  not  aiming  to  display  our  skill  in  tactics  and  generalship  ;  we  are 
aiming  to  show  ourselves  a  free  people,  worthy  to  possess  and  able  to 
defend  the  institutions  of  our  fathers.  What  signifies  it  to  us  how  the 
foe  is  vanquished,  provided  it  is  done  ?  Because  we  have  not  weapons 
of  the  most  improved  workmanship,  are  we  to  sit  still  and  see  our  soil 
overrun,  and  our  wives  and  children  driven  from  their  homes,  while  we 
have  in  our  hands  other  weapons  that  can  equally  do  the  work  of  death  ? 
Are  we  to  perish  if  we  cannot  conquer  by  the  technical  rules  of  scien 
tific  warfare  ?  Are  we  to  sacrifice  our  country  to  military  punctilio  ? 
The  thought  is  monstrous.  We  must  be  prepared  to  extemporize  expe 
dients.  We  must  cea.se  to  be  chary,  either  about  our  weapons  or  the 
means  of  using  them.  The  end  is  to  drive  back  our  foes.  If  we  cannot  pro 
cure  the  best  rifles,  let  us  put  up  with  the  common  guns  of  the  country  ; 
if  they  cannot  be  had,  with  pikes,  and  axes,  and  tomahawks  ;  anything 
that  will  do  the  work  of  death,  is  an  effective  instrument  in  a  brave 
man's  hand.  We  should  be  ready  for  the  regular  battle  or  the  partisan 
skirmish.  •  If  we  are  too  weak  to  stand  an  engagement  in  the  open  field, 
we  can  waylay  the  foe,  and  harass  and  annoy  him.  We  must  prepare 
ourselves  for  a  guerilla  war.  The  enemey  must  be  conquered ;  and  any 
method  by  which  we  can  honourably  do  it  must  be  resorted  to.  This  is 
the  kind  of  spirit  which  we  want  to. see  aroused  among  our  people. 
With  this  spirit,  they  will  ne.ver  be  subdued.  If  driven  from  the  plains, 
they  will  retreat  to  the  mountains ;  if  beaten  in  the  field,  they  will  hide 
in  swamps  and  marshes  ;  and  when  their  enemies  are  least  expecting  it, 
they  will  pounce  down  upon  them  in  the  dashing  exploits  of  a  Sumter, 
a  Marion,  and  a  Davie.  It  is  only  when  we  have  reached  this  point  that 
public  spirit  is  commensurate  with  the  danger. 

In  the  second  place,  we  must  guard  sacredly  against  cherishing  a  tem 
per  of  presumptuous  confidence.  The  cause  is  not  ours,  but  God's ;  anl 
if  we  measure  its  importance  only  by  its  accidental  relation  to  ourselves, 
we  may  be  suffered  to  perish  for  our  pride.  No  nation  ever  yet  achieved 
anything  great,  that  did  not  regard  itself  as  the  instrument  of  Provi 
dence.  The  only  lasting  inspiration  of  lofty  patriotism  and  exalted 
courage,  is  the  inspiration  of  religion.  The  Greeks  and  Komans  never 
ventured- upon  any  important  enterprise  without  consulting  their  gods. 
They  felt  that  they  were  safe  only  as  they  were  persuaded  that  they  were 
in  alliance  with  heaven.  Man,  though  limited  in  space,  limited  in  time, 
and  limited  in  knowledge,  is  truly  great,  when  he  is  linked  to  the  Infi 
nite  as  the  means  of  accomplishing  lasting  ends.  To  be  God's  servant, 
that  is  his  highest  destiny,  his  sublimest  calling.  Nations  are  under  the 
pupilage  of  Providence  ;  they  are  in  training  themselves,  that  they  may 
be  the  instruments  of  furthering  the  progress  of  the  human  race. 

Polybius,  the  historian,  traces  the  secret  of  Roman  greatness  to  the 
profound  sense  of  religion  which  constituted  a  striking  feature  of  the 


OUR  DANGER  AND  OUR  DUTY.  587 

national  character.  He  calls  it,  expressly,  the  firmest  pillar  of  the 
.Roman  State;  and  he  does  not  hesitate  to  denounce,  as  enemies  to 
public  order  and  prosperity,  those  of  his  own  contemporaries  who  sought 
to  undermine  the  sacredness  of  these  convictions.  Even  Napoleon  sus 
tained  his  vaulting  ambition  by  a  mysterious  connection  with  the  invisi 
ble  world.  He  was  a  man  of  destiny.  It  is  the  relation  to  God,  and 
His  providential  training  of  the  race,  that  imparts  true  dignity  to  our 
struggle;  and  we  must  recognize  ourselves  as  God's  servants,  working 
out  His  glorious  ends,  or  we  shall  infallibly  be  left  to  stumble  upon  the 
dark  mountains  of  error.  Our  trust  in  Him  must  be  the  real  spring  of  our 
heroic  resolution,  to  conquer  or  to  die.  A  sentiment  of  honour,  a  mo 
mentary  enthusiasm,  may  prompt  and  sustain  spasmodic  exertions  of  an 
extraordinary  character ;  but  a  steady  valour,  a  self-denying  patriotism, 
protracted  patience,  a  readiness  to  do,  and  dare,  and  suffer,  through  a 
generation  or  an  age,  this  comes  only  from  a  sublime  faith  in  God.  The 
worst  symptom  that  any  people  can  manifest,  is  that  of  pride.  "With 
nations,  as  with  individuals,  it  goes  before  a  fall.  Let  us  guard  against 
it.  Let  us  rise  to  the  true  grandeur  of  our  calling,  and  go  forth  as  ser 
vants  of  the  Most  High,  to  execute  His  purposes.  In  this  spirit  we  are 
safe.  By  this  spirit  our  principles  are  ennobled,  and  our  cause  trans 
lated  from  earth  to  heaven.  An  overweening  confidence  in  the  righte 
ousness  of  our  cause,  rs  if  that  alone  were  sufficient  to  insure  our  suc 
cess,  betrays  gross  inattention  to  the  Divine  dealings  with  communities 
and  States.  In  the  issue  betwixt  ourselves  and  our  enemies,  we  may  be 
free  from  blame ;  but  there  may  be  other  respects  in  which  we  have, 
provoked  the  judgments  of  Heaven,  and  there  may  be  other  grounds  on 
which  God  has  a  controversy  with  us,  and  the  swords  of  our  enemies 
may  be  His  chosen  instruments  to  execute  His  wrath.  He  may  first  use 
them  as  a  rod,  and  then  punish  them  in  other  forms  for  their  own 
iniquities.  Hence,  it  behooves  us  not  only  to  have  a  righeous  cause, 
but  to  be  a  righteous  people.  We  must  abandon  all  our  sins,  and  put 
ourselves  heartily  and  in  earnest  on  the  side  of  Providence. 

Hence,  this  dependence  upon  Providence  carries  with  it  the  necessity 
of  removing  from  the  midst  of  us  whatever  is  offensive  to  a  holy  God. 
If  the  Government  is  His  ordinance,  and  the  people  His  instruments, 
they  must  see  to  it  that  they  serve  Him  with  no  unwashed  or  defiled 
hands.  We  must  cultivate  a  high  standard  of  public  virtue.  We  must 
renounce  all  personal  and  selfish  aims,  and  we  must  rebuke  every  custom 
or  institution  that  tends  to  deprave  the  public  morals.  Virtue  is  powi-r, 
and  vice  is  weakness.  The  same  Polybius,  to  whom  we  have  already 
referred,  traces  the  influence  of  the  religious  sentiment  at  Rome  in  pro 
ducing  faithful  and  incorruptible  magistrates,  who  were  strangers  alike 
to  bribery  and  favour  in  executing  the  laws  and  dispensing  the  trusts  of 
the  State,  and  that  high  tone  of  public  faith  which  made  an  oath  an  ab 
solute  security  for  faithfulness.  This  st^rn  simplicity  of  manners  we 
must  cherish,  if  we  hope  to  succeed.  Bribery,  corruption,  favouritism, 
electioneering,  flattery,  and  every  species  of  double-dealing ;  drunken- 


588  APPENDIX. 

ness,  profaneness,  debauchery,  selfishness,  avarice,  and  extortion ;  all 
base  material  ends  must  be  banished  by  a  stern  integrity,  if  we  would 
become  the  fit  instruments  of  a  holy  Providence  in  a  holy  cause.  Sin  is 
a  reproach  to  any  people.  It  is  weakness ;  it  is  sure,  though  it  may  be 
slow,  decay.  Faith  in  God:  that  is  the  watchword 'of  martyrs,  whether 
in  the  cause  of  truth  or  of  liberty.  That  alone  ennobles  and  sanctifies. 
*  "All  other  nations,"  except  the  French,  as  Burke  has  significantly  re 
marked,  in  relation  to  the  memorable  revolution  which  was  doomed  to 
failure  in  consequence  of  this  capital  omission,  "have  begun  the  fabric 
of  a  new  Government,  or  the  reformation  of  an  old,  by  establishing  ori 
ginally,  or  by  enforcing  with  greater  exactness,  some  rites  or  other  of 
religion.  All  other  people  have  laid  the  foundations  of  civil  freedom  in 
severer  manners,  and  a  system  of  more  austere  and  masculine  morality." 
To  absolve  the  State,  which  is  the  society  of  rights,  from  a  strict  respon 
sibility  to  the  Author  and  Source  of  justice  and  of  law,  is  to  destroy  the 
firmest  security  of  public  order,  to  convert  liberty  into  license,  and  to 
impregnate  the  very  being  of  the  commonwealth  with  the  seeds  of  dis 
solution  and  decay.  France  failed,  because  France  forgot  God ;  and  if 
we  tread  in  the  footsteps  of  that  infatuated  people,  and  treat  with  equal 
contempt  the  holiest  instincts  of  our  nature,  we,  too,  may  be  abandoned 
to  our  folly,  and  become  the  hissing  and  the  scorn  of  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth.  ' '  Be  wise,  now,  therefore,  O  ye  kings !  be  instructed,  ye 
judges  of  the  earth.  Kiss  the  Son,  lest  He  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  from 
the  way,  when  His  wrath  is  kindled  but  a  little.  Blessed  are  all  they 
that  put  their  trust  in  Him." 

In  the  third  place,  let  us  endeavour  rightly  to  interpret  the  reverses 
which  have  recently  attended  our  arms.  It  is  idle  to  make  light  of  them. 
They  are  serious  ;  they  are  disastrous.  The  whole  end  .of  Providence,  in 
any  dispensation,  it  were  presumptuous  for  any  one,  independently  of  a 
special  revelation,  to  venture  to  decipher.  But  there  are  tendencies 
which  lie  upon  the  surface,  and  these  obvious  tendencies  are  designed 
foi-  our  guidance  and  instruction.  In  the  present  case,  we  may  humbly 
believe  that  one  purpose  aimed  at  has  been  to  rebuke  our  confidence  and 
our  pride.  We  had  begun  to  despise  our  enemy,  and  to  prophesy  safety 
without  much  hazard.  We  had  laughed  at  his  cowardice,  and  boasted 
of  our  superior  prowess  and  skill.  Is- it  strange  that,  while  indulging 
such  a  temper,  we  ourselves  should  be  made  to  turn  our  backs,  and  to 
become  a  jest  to  those  whom  we  had  jeered  ?  We  had  grown  licentious, 
intemperate,  and  profane  :  is  it  strange  that,  in  the  midst  of  our  security, 
God  should  teach  us  that  sin  is  a  reproach  to  any  people  ?  Is  it  strange 
that  He  should  remind  us  of  the  moral  conditions  upon  which  alone  we 
are  authorized  to  hope  for  success  ?  The  first  lesson,  therefore,  is  one 
of  rebuke  and  repentance.  It  is  a  call  to  break  off  our  sins  by  right 
eousness,  and  to  turn  our  eyes  to  the  real  secret  of  national  security  and 
strength.  ; 

The  second  end  may  be  one  of  trial.  God  has  placed  us  in  circum 
stances  in  which,  if  we  show  that  we  are  equal  to  the  emergency,  all  will 


<H"R  DANGER  AND  OUR  DUTY.  58$ 

acknowledge  our  right  to  the  freedom  which  we  have  so  signally  vindi 
cated.  We  have  now  the  opportunity  for  great  exploits.  We  can  now 
demonstrate  to  the  world  what  manner  of  spirit  we  are'  of.  If  our 
courage  and  faith  rise  superior  to  the  danger,  we  shall  not  only  succeed, 
but  we  shall  succeed  with  a  moral  influence  and  character  that  shall 
render  our  success  doiibly  valuable.  Providence  seems  to  be  against  us : 
disaster  upon  disaster  has  attended  our  arms  ;  the  enemy  is  in  possession 
of  three  States,  and  beleaguers  us  in  all  our  coasts.  His  resources  ancT 
armaments  are  immense,  and  his  energy  and  resolution  desperate.  His 
numbers  are  so  much  superior,  that  we  are  like  a  flock  of  kids  before 
him.  We  have  nothing  to  stand  on  but  the  eternal  principles  of  truth 
and  right,  and  the  protection  and  alliance  of  a  just  God.  Can  we  look 
the  danger  unflinchingly  in  the  face,  and  calmly  resolve  to  meet  it  and 
subdue  it?  Can  we  say,  in  reliance  upon  Providence,  that,  were  his 
numbers  and  resources  a  thousand-fold  greater,  the  interests  at  stake  are 
so  momentous,  that  we  will  not  be  conquered  ?  Do  we  feel  the  moral 
power  of  courage,  of  resolution,  of  heroic  will,  rising  and  swelling  within 
us,  until  it  towers  above  all  the  smoke  and  dust  of  the  invasion  ?  Then 
•we  are  in  a  condition  to  do  great  deeds.  We  are  in  the  condition  of 
Greece  when  Xerxes  hung  upon  the  borders  of  Attica,  with  an  army  of 
five  millions  that  had  never  been  conquered,  and  to  which  State  after 
State  of  northern  Greece  had  yielded  in  its  progress.  Little  Athens  was 
the  object  of  his  vengeance.  Leonidas  had  fallen ;  four  days  more  would 
bring  the  destroyer  to  the  walls  of  the  devoted  city.  There  the  people 
were — a  mere  handful.  Their  first  step  had  been  to  consult  the  gods, 
and  the  astounding  reply  which  they  received  from  Delphi  would  have 
driven  any  other  people  to  despair.  "  Wretched  men  !  "  said  the  oracle, 
which  they  believed  to  be  infallible,  "  why  sit  ye  there  ?  Quit  your  land 
and  city,  and  flee  afar !  Head,  body,  feet,  and  hands,  are  alike  rotten ; 
fire  and  sword,  in  the  train  of  the  Syrian  chariot,  shall  overwhelm  you ; 
not  only  your  city,  but  other  cities  also,  as  well  as  many  even  of  the 
temples  of  the  gods,  which  are  now  sweating  and  trembling  with  fear, 
and  foreshadow,  by  drops  of  blood  on  their  roofs,  the  hard  calamities 
impending.  Get  ye  away  from  the  sanctuary,  with  your  souls  steeped 
in  sorrow."  We  have  had  reverses,  but  no  such  oracle  as  this.  It  was 
afterwards  modified  so  as  to  give  a  ray  of  hope,  in  an  ambiguous  allusion 
to  wooden  walls.  But  the  soul  of  the  Greek  rose  with  the  danger ;  and 
we  have  a  succession  of  events,  from  the  desertion  of  Athens  to  the  final 
expulsion  of  the  invader,  which  make  that  little  spot  of  earth  immortal. 
Let  us  imitate,  in  Christian  faith,  this  sublime  example.  Let  ov,r  spirit 
be  loftier  than  that  of  the  pagan  Greek,  and  we  can  succeed  in  making 
every  pass  a  Thermopylae  every  strait  a  Salamis,  and  every  plain  a 
Marathon.  We  can  conquer,  and  we  must.  We  must  not  suffer  any 
other  thought  to  enter  our  minds.  If  we  are  overrun,  we  can  ai  least 
die ;  and  if  our  enemies  get  possession  of  our  land,  we  can  leave  it  f. 
howling  desert.  But,  under  God,  we  snail  not  fail.  If  we  are  true  to 
Him,  and  true  to  ourselves,  a  glorious  futuro  is  before  us.  We  occupy 


590  APPENDIX. 

a  sublime  position.  The  eyes  of  the  world  are  upon  us  ;  we  are  a  spec 
tacle  to  God,  to  angels,  and  to  men.  Can  our  hearts  grow  faint,  or  our 
hands  feeble,  in  a  cause  like  this  ?  The  spirits  of  our  fathers  call  to  us 
from  their  graves.  The  heroes  of  other  ages  and  other  countries  are 
beckoning  us  on  to  glory.  Let  us  seize  the  opportunity,  and  make  to 
ourselves  an  immortal  name,  while  we  redeem  a  land  from  bondage  and 
a  continent  from  ruin. 


No.  III. 
THE  STATE  OF  THE  COUNTKY. 


DECLARATION  OF  THE  IMMEDIATE  CAUSES  WHICH  INDUCE  AND  JUSTIFY 
THE  SECESSION  OF  SOUTH  CAKOLINA  FBOM  THE  FEDERAL  UNION  ;  AND 
THE  ORDINANCE  OF  SECESSION.  Printed  by  order  of  the  Convention. 
Charleston:  Evans  &  Cogswell,  Printers  to  the  Convention,  pp.  13. 
18GO. 

THE  ADDRESS  OF  THE  PEOPLE  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA,  ASSEMBLED  IN  CON 
VENTION,  TO  THE   PEOPLE   OF    THE    SLAVEHOLDING    STATES  OF    THE 
UNITED  STATES.     Printed  by  order  of  the  Convention.     Charleston : 
Evans  &  Cogswell,  Printers  to  the  Convention,     pp.  1C.     I860. 
REPORT  ON  THE  ADDRESS  OF  A  PORTION  OF  THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE  GENERAL 
ASSEMBLY  OF  GEORGIA.    Printed  by  order  of  the  Convention.    Charles 
ton  :  Evans  &  Cogswell,  Printers  to  the  Convention,     pp.  G.     1800. 
IT  is  now  universally  known  that,  on  the  20th  day  of  last  December, 
the  people  of  South  Carolina,  in  Convention  assembled,  solemnly  an 
nulled  the  ordinance  by  which  they  became  members  of  the  Federal 
Union,  entitled  the  United  States  of  America,  and  resumed  to  them 
selves  the  exercise  of  all  the  powers  which  they  had  delegated  to  the 
Federal  Congress.     Soiith  Carolina  has  now  become  a  separate  and  in 
dependent  State.     She  takes  her  place  as  an  equal  among  the  other 
nations  of  the  earth.     This  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  J;IH\V  and  im 
portant  events  of  modern  times.     It  involves  the  destiny  of  a  continent ; 
and  through  that  continent,  the  fortunes  of  the  human  race.     As  it  is  a 
matter  of  the  utmost  moment  that  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  especially 
that  the  people  of  the  United  States,  should  understand  the  causes  which 
have  brought  about  this  astounding  result,  we  propose,  in  a  short  article, 
and  in  a  candid  and  dispassionate  spirit,  to  explain  them ;  and  to  make  an 
appeal,  both  to  the  slaveholding  and  non-slaveholding  States,  touching 
their  duty  in  the  new  and  extraordinary  aspect  which  affairs  have  as 
sumed. 

That  there  was  a  cause,  and  an  adequate  cause,  might  be  pn 
from  the  character  of  the  Convention  which  passed  the  Ordinance  of 
Secession,  and  the  perfect  unanimity  -with  which  it  was  done.     That 
Convention  was  not  a  collection  of  demagogues  and  politicians.     It  was 
not  a  conclave  of  defeated  place-hunters,  who  sought  to  avenge  their 

591 


592  APPENDIX. 

disappointment  by  the  ruin  of  their  country.  It  was  a  body  of  sober, 
grave,  and  venerable  men,  selected  from  every  pursuit  in«life,  and  dis 
tinguished,  most  Of  them,  in  their  respective  spheres,  by  every  quality 
which  can  command  confidence  and  respect.  It  embraced  the  wisdom, 
moderation,  and  integrity  of  the  bench,  the  learning  and  prudence  of 
the  bar,  and  the  eloquence  and  piety  of  the  pulpit.  It  contained  retired 
planters,  scholars,  and  gentlemen,  who  had  stood  aloof  from  the  turmoil 
and  ambition  of  public  life,  and  were  devoting  an  elegant  leisure,  otium 
cum  dignitate,  to  the  culture  of  their  minds,  and  to  quiet  and  unobtru 
sive  schemes  of  Christian  philanthropy.-  There  were  men  in  that  Con 
vention  who  were  utterly  incapable  of  low  and  selfish  schemes ;  who,  in 
the  calm  serenity  of  their  judgments,  were  as  unmoved  by  the  waves  of 
popular  passion  and  excitement  as  the  everlasting  granite  by  the  billows 
that  roll  against  it.  There  were  men  there  who  would  have  listened  to 
no  voice  but  what  they  believed  to  be  the  voice  of  reason ;  and  would 
have  bowed  to  no  authority  but  what  they  believed  to  be  the  authority 
of  God.  There  were  men  there  who  would  not  have  been  controlled 
by  "uncertain  opinion,"  nor  betrayed  into  "sudden  counsels;"  men 
who  could  act  from  nothing,  in  the  noble  language  of  Milton,  "but 
from  mature  wisdom,  deliberate  virtue,  and  dear  affection* to  the  public 
good."  That  Convention,  in  the  character  of  its  members,  deserves 
every  syllable  of  the  glowing  panegyric  which  Milton  has  pronounced 
upon  the  immortal  Parliament  of  England,  which  taught  the  nations  of 
the  earth  that  resistance  to  tyrants  is  obedience  to  God.  Were  it  not 
invidious,  we  might  single  out  names,  which,  wherever  they  are  known, 
are  regarded  as  synonymous  with  purity,  probity,  magiianirnity,  and 
honour.  It  was  a  noble  body,  and  all  their  proceedings  were  in  harmony 
with  their  high  character.  In  the  midst  of  intense  agitation  and. excite 
ment,  they  were  calm,  cool,  collected,  and  self-possessed.  They  deliberated 
without  passion,  and  concluded  without  rashness..  'I  hey  sat  with  closed 
doors,  that  the  tumult  of  the  populace  might  not  invade  the  sobriety  of 
their  minds.  If  a  stranger  could  have  passed  from  the  stirring  scenes 
with  which  the  streets  of  Charleston  were  alive,  into  the  calm  and  quiet 
sanctuary  of  this  venerable  council,  he  would  have  been  impressed  with 
the  awe  and  veneration  which  subdued  the  rude  Gaul,  when  he  first  be 
held  in  senatorial  dignity  the  Conscript  Fathers  of  Home.  That,  in 
such  a  body,  there  was  not  a  single  voice  against  the  Ordinance  of  Se 
cession,  that  there  was  not  only  no  dissent,  but  that  the  assent  was  cordial 
and  thorough-going,  is  a  strong  presumption  that  the  measure  was  jus 
tified  by  the  clearest  and  sternest  necessities  of  justice  and  of  right. 
That  such  an  assembly  should  have  inaugurated  and  completed  a  radi 
cal  revolution  in  all  the  external  relations  of  the  State,  in  the  face  of 
acknowledged  dangers,  and  at  the  risk  of  enormous  sacrifices,  and 
should  have  done  it  gravely,  soberly,  dispassionately,  deliberately,  and 
yet  have  done  \t  without  cau£e,  transcends  all  the  measiires  of  proba 
bility.  Whatever  else  may  be  said  of  it,  it  certainly  must  be  admitted 
that  this  solemn  act  of  South  Carolina  was  well  considered. 


THE  STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY.  593 

In  her  estimate  of  the  magnituderof  the  danger,  she  has  been  seconded 
by  every  other  slaveholding  State.  While  we  are  writing,  the  telegraphic 
wires  announce  whiA  the  previous  elections  had  prepared  us  to  expect — 
that  Florida,  Alabama,  and  Mississippi  have  followed  her  example.  They 
also  have  become  separate  and  independent  States.  Three  other  St.  i  a 
have  taken  the  incipient  steps  for  the  consummation  of  the  same  result. 
And  the  rest  of  the  slaveholding  States  are  hanging  by  a  single  thread 
to  the  Union,  the  slender  thread  of  hope,  that  guarantees  may  be  divised 
which  shall  yet  secure  to  them  their  rights.  But  even  they  proclaim, 
that  without  such  guarantees,  their  wrongs  are  intolerable,  and  they 
will  not  longer  endure  them.  Can  any  man  believe  that  the  secession 
of  four  sovereign  States,  under  the  most  solemn  circumstances,  the  de 
termination  of  others  to  follow  as  soon  as  the  constituted  authorities  can 
be  called  together,  and  the  universal  sentiment  of  all,  that  the  Consti 
tution  of  the  United  States  has  been  virtually  repealed,  and  that  every 
slaveholding  State  has  just  ground  for  secession ;  can  any  man  believe 
that  this  is  a  factitious  condition  of  the  public  mind  of  the  South,  pro 
duced  by  brawling  politicians  and  disappointed  demagogues,  and  not  the 
calm,  deliberate,  profound  utterance  of  a  people  who  feel,  in  their  in 
most  fiouls,  that  they  have  been  deeply  and  flagrantly  wronged?  The 
presumption  clearly  is,  that  there  is  something  in  the  attitude  of  the 
Government  which  portends  danger,,  and  demands  resistance.  There 
must  be  a  cause  for  this  intense  and  pervading  sense  of  injustice  and  of 
injury. 

It  has  been  suggested,  by  those  who  know  as  little  of  the  people  of 
the  South  as  they  do  of  the  Constitution  of  their  country,  that  all  this 
ferment  is  nothing  but  the  result  of  a  mercenary  spirit  on  the  part  of 
the  cotton-growing  States,  fed  by  Utopian  dreams  of  aggrandizement 
and  wealth,  to  be  realized  under  the  auspices  of  free  trade,  in  a  separate 
confederacy  of  their  own.  It  has  been  gravely  insinuated  that  they 
are  willing  to  sell  their  faith  for  gold;  that  they  have  only  made  a 
pretext  of  recent  events  to  accomplish  a  foregone  scheme  of  deliberate 
treachery  and  fraud.  That  there  is  not  the  slightest  ground  in  anything 
these  States  have  ever  said  or  done  for  this  extraordinary  slander,  it  is, 
of  course,  superfluous  to  add.  The  South  has,  indeed,  complained  of 
tiiu  unequal  administration  of  the  Government.  Her  best  and  purest 
statesmen  have  openly  avowed  the  opinion  that,  in  consequence  of  the 
partial  legislation  of  Congress,  she  has  borne  burdens  and  experienced 
inconveniences  which  have  retarded  her  own  prosperity,  while  they 
have  largely  contributed  to  develope  the  resources  of  the  North.  But 
grievances  of  this  kind,  unless  greatly  exaggerated,  never  would  have 
led  to  the  dissolution  of  the  Union.  They  would  have  been  resisted 
within  it,  or  patiently  borne  until  they  could  be  lawfully  redressed.  So 
fur  from  contending  for  an  arbitrary  right  to  dissolve  the  Union,  or  the 
right  to  dissolve  it  on  merely  technical 'grounds,  the  South  sets  so  high 
a  value  on  good  faith,  that  she  would  never  have  dissolved  it  for  slight 
and  temporary  wrongs,  even  though  they  might  involve  such  a  violation, 


594:  APPENDIX. 

on  the  part  of  her  confederates,  of  the  terms  of  the  compact,  as  released 
her  from  any  further  obligation  of  honour.  It  is,  therefore,  prepostei- 
ous  to  say,  that  any  dreams,  however  dazzling,  of  ambition  and  avarice, 
could  have  induced  her  to  disregard  her  solemn  engagements  to  her  sis 
ter  States,  while'  they  were  faithfully  fulfilling  the  conditions  of  the 
contract.  We  know  the  people  of  the  South ;  and  we  can  confidently 
affirm  that,  if  they  had  been  assuretl  that  all  these  golden  visions  could 
have  been  completely  realized  by  setting  up  for  themselves,  as  long  as 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  continued  to  be  sincerely  observed, 
they  would  have  spurned  the  temptation  to  purchase  national  greatness 
by  perfidy.  They  would  have  preferred  poverty,  with  honour,  to  the 
gain  of  the  whole  world  by  the  loss  of  their  integrity. 

When  it  was  perceived  that  the  tendency  of  events  was  inevitably 
driving  the  South  to  disunion,  a  condition  from  which  she  at  first  re 
coiled  with  horror,  then  she  began  to  cast  about  her  for  considerations 
to  reconcile  her  to  her  destiny.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  was  it  main 
tained,  that,  instead  of  being  a  loser,  she  might  be  a  gainer  by  the 
measure  which  the  course  of  the  Government  was  forcing  upon  her.  It 
was  alleged  that  good  would  spring  from  evil ;  that  the  prospect  of  inde 
pendence  was  brighter  and  more  cheering  than  her  present  condition  ; 
that  she  had  much  to  anticipate,  and  little  to  dread,  from  the  contem 
plated  change.  But  these  considerations  were  not  invented  to  justify 
secession  ;  they  were  only  adduced  as  motives  to  reconcile  the  mind  to 
its  necessity.  Apart  from  that  necessity,  they  would  have  had  as  little 
weight  in  determining  public  opinion,  as  the  small  dust  of  the  balance. 
We  do  not  believe,  when  the  present  controversy  began,  that  the  advo 
cates  of  what  is  called  disunion  per  se,  men  who  preferred  a  Southern 
Confederacy  upon  the  grounds  of  its  intrinsic  superiority  to  the  Consti 
tutional  Union  of  the  United  States,  could  have  mustered  a  corpornl'u 
guard.  The  people  of  the  South  were  loyal  to  the  country,  and  if  the 
country  had  been  true  to  them,  they  would  have  been  as  ready  to-day  to 
defend  its  honour  with  their  fortunes  and  their  blood,  as  when  they 
raised  its  triumphant  flag  upon  the  walls  of  Mexico. 

It  has  also  been  asserted,  as  a  ground  of  dissatisfaction  with  the  pres 
ent  Government,  and  of  desire  to  organize  a  separate  government  of 
their  own,  that  the  cotton-growing  States  are  intent  upon  re-opening,  as 
a  means  of  fulfilling  their  magnificent  visons  of  wealth,  the  African  slave 
trade.  The  agitation  of  this  subject  at  the  South  has  been  grievously 
misunderstood.  One  extreme  generates  another.  The  violence  of 
Northern  abolitionists  gave  rise  to  a  small  party  among  ourselves,  who 
were  determined  not  to  be  outdone  in  extravagance.  They  wished  to 
show  that  they  could  give  a  Rowland  for  an  Oliver.  Had  abolitionists 
never  denounced  the  domestic  trade  as  plunder  and  robbery,  not  a  whis 
per  would  ever  have  been  breathed  about  disturbing  the  peace  of  Africa. 
The  men  who  were  loudest  in  -their  denunciations  of  the  Government 
had,  with  very  few  exceptions,  no  more  desire  to  have  the  trade  re 
opened,  than  the  rest  of  their  countrymen ;  but  they  delighted  in 


THE  STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY.  595 

teasing  their  enemies.  They  took  special  satisfaction  in  providing  hard 
nuts  for  abolitionists  to  crack.  There  were  others,  not  at  all  in  favour  of 
the  trade,  who  looked  upon  the  law  as  unconstitutional  which  declared 
it  to  be  piracy.  But  the  great  mass  of  the  Southern  people  were  con 
tent  with  the  law  as  it  stood.  They  were  and  arc  opposed  to  the  trade, 
not  because  the  traffic  in  slaves  is  immoral — that  not  a  man  among  us 
believes — but  because  the  traffic  with  Africa  is  not  a  traffic  in  slaves. 
It  is  a  system  of  kidnapping  and  man-stealing,  which  is  as  abhorrent  to 
the  South  as  it  is  to  the  North ;  and  we  venture  confidently  to  predict, 
that  should  a  Southern  Confederacy  be  formed,  the  African  slave-trade 
is  much  more  likely  to  be  re-opened  by  the  old  Government  than  the 
new.  The  conscience  of  the  North  will  be  less  tender  when  it  has  no 
Southern  sins  to  bewail,  and  idle  ships  will  naturally  look  to  the  Govern 
ment  to  help  them  in  finding  employment. 

The  real  chuse  of  the  intense  excitement  of  the  South,  is  not  vain 
dreams  of  national  glory  in  a  separate  confederacy,  nor  the  love  of  the 
filthy  lucre  of  the  African  slave-trade ;  it  is  the  profound  conviction  that 
the  Constitution,  in  its  relations  to  slavery,  has  been  virtually  repealed  ; 
that  the  Government  has  assumed  a  new  and  dangerous  attitude  upon 
this  subject ;  that  we  have,  in  short,  new  terms  of  union  submitted  to1 
our  acceptance  or  rejection.  Here  lies  the  evil.  The  election  of  Lin 
coln,  when  properly  interpreted,  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  propo 
sition  to  the  South  to  consent  to  a  Government, fundamentally  different 
upon  the  question  of  slavery,  from  that  which  our  fathers  established. 
If  this  point  can  be  made  out,  secession  becomes  not  only  a  right,  but  a 
bounden  duty.  Morally,  it  is  only  the  abrogation  of  the  forms  of  a  con 
tract,  when  its  essential  conditions  have  been  abolished.  Politically, 
it  is  a  measure  indispensable  to  the  safety,  if  not  to  the  very  existence, 
of  the  South.  It  is  needless  to  say  that,  in  this  issue,  the  personal 
character  of  Mr.  Lincoln  is  not  at  all  involved.  There  are  no  objections 
to  him  as  a  man,  or  as  a  citizen  of  the  North.  He  is  probably  entitled, 
in  the  private  relations  of  life,  to  all  the  commendations  which  his 
friends  have  bestowed  upon  him.  "We,  at  least,  would  be  the  last  to 
detract  from  his  personal  worth.  The  issue  has  respect,  not  to  the  man, 
but  to  the  principles  upon  which  he  is  pledged  to  administer  the  Govern 
ment,  and  which,  we  are  significantly  informed,  are  to  be  impressed  upon 
it  in  all  time  to  come.  His  election  seals  the  triumph  of  those  princi 
ples,  and  that  triumph  seals  the  subversion  of  the  Constitution,  in  rela 
tion  to  a  matter  of  paramount  interest  to  the  South. 

This  we  shall  proceed  to  show,  by  showing,  first,  the  Constitutional 
attitude  of  the  Government  towards  slavery,  and  then  the  attitude 
which,  after  the  inauguration  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  it  is  to  assume  and  main 
tain  for  ever : 

I,    What,  now,  is  its  Constitutional  attitude  ?     We  affirm  it  to  be  one 

Of  ABSOLUTE    INDIFFERENCE  OR  NEUTRALITY,  With  respect  to  all  questions 

connected  with  the  moral  and  political  aspects  of  the  subject.  In  the 
eye  of  the  Constitution,  slaveholding  and  non-slaveholding  stand  upon 


596  APPENDIX. 

a  footing  of  perfect  equality.  The-  slaveholding  State  and  the  slave- 
holding  citizen  are  the  same  to  it  as  the  non-slaveholding.  It  protects 
both  ;  it  espouses  the  peculiarities  of  neither.  It  does  not  allow  the 
North  to  say  the  to  South,  ' '  Your  institutions  are  inferior  to  ours,  and 
should  be  changed ;  "  neither  does  it  allow  the  South  to  say  to  the  North, 
"  You  must  accommodate  yourselves  to  us."  It  says  to  both,  "  Enjoy  your 
own  opinions  upon  your  own  soil,  so  that  you  do  not  interfere  with  the 
rights  of  each  other.  To  me  there  is  no  difference  betwixt  you."  Formed 
by  parties  whose  divisive  principle  was  this  very  subject  of  slavery,  it 
stands  to  reason,  that  the  Constitution,  without  self-condemnation  on  the 
part  of  one  or  the  other,  could  not  have  been  made  the  patron  of  either. 
From  the  very  nature  of  the  case,  its  position  must  be  one  of  complete 
impartiality.  This  is  what  the  South  means  by  equality  in  the  Union, 
that  the  general  Government  shah1  make  no  difference  betwixt  its  insti-' 
tutions  and  those  of  the  North  ;  that  slaveholding  shall  be  as  good  to  it 
as  non-slaveholding.  In  other  words,  the  Government  is  the  organ  of 
neither  party,  but  the  common  agent  of  both ;  and,  as  their  common 
agent,  has  no  right  to  pronounce  an  opinion  as  to  the  merits  of  their 
respective  peculiarities.  This,  we  contend,  is  the  attitude  fixed  by  the 
Constitution.  The  Government  is  neither  pro  nor  anti  slavery.  It  is 
simply  neutral.  Had  it  assumed  any  other  attitude  upon  this  subject,  it 
never  would  have  been  accepted  by  the  slaveholding  States.  When  Mr. 
Pinckney  could  rise  up  in  the  Convention  and  declare,  that  "if  slavery 
be  wrong,  it  is  justified  by  the  example  of  all  the  world ;  "  when  he  could 
boldly  appeal  to  the  unanimous  testimony  of  ancient  and  modern  times  ; 
to  Greece  and  Eome,  to  France,  Holland,  and  England,  in  vindication  of 
its  righteousness,  it  is  not  to  be  presumed  that  he  ever  would  have  joined 
in  the  construction  of  a  Government  which  was  authorized  to  pro 
nounce  and  treat  it  as  an  evil }  It  is  not  to  be  presumed  that  the  slave- 
holding  States,  unless  they  seriously  aimed  at  the  ultimate  extinction  of 
slavery,  would  have  entered  into  an  alliance  which  was  confessedly  to  be 
turned  against  them.  That  they  did  not  aim  at  the  extinction  of  slavery, 
is  clear  from  the  pertinacity  with  which  some  of  them  clung  to  the  con 
tinuance  of  the  African  slave-trade,  until  foreign  supplies  should  be  no 
longer  demanded.  When  Georgia  and  South  Carolina  made  it  a  sine 
qua  nan  for  entering  the  Union,  that  this  traffic  should  be  kept  open  for 
a  season,  to  say  that  these  States  meditated  the  abolition  of  slavery,  is 
grossly  paradoxical.  It  is  remarkable,  too,  that  the  time  fixed  for  the 
prohibition  of  this  traffic,  was  a  time  within  which  the  representatives 
of  those  States  were  persuaded  that  the  States  themselves,  if  the  question 
were  left  to  them,  would  prohibit  it.  These  States  conceded  to  the 
Government  the  right  to  do,  as  their  agent,  only  what  they  themselves 
would  do,  as  sovereign  communities,  under  the  same  circumstances. 
No  presumption,  therefore,  of  an  attitude,  on  the  part  of  the  Constitu 
tion,  hostile  to  slavery,  can  be  dediiced  from  the  clause  touching  the 
African  slave-trade.  On  the  contrary,  the  presumption  is,  that,  as  the 
trade  was  kept  open  for  a  while — kept  open,  in  fact,  as  long  as  the 


THE  STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY.  597 

African  supply  was  needed — the  slaveholding  States  never  meant  to 
abolish  (he  institution,  and  never  could  have  consented  to  set  the  face  of 
the  Government  against  it.  No  doubt,  the  fathers  of  the  Republic  were, 
many  of  them,  not  all,  opposed  to  slavery.  But  they  had  to  frame 
a  government  which  should  represent,  not  their  personal  and  private 
opinions,  but  the  interests  of  sovereign  States.  They  had  to  adjust  it 
to  the  institutions  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  as  well  as  those  of 
Now  England.  And  they  had  the  grace  given  them  to  impress  upon  it 
the  only  attitude  which*  could  conciliate  and  harmonize  all  parties,  the 
attitude  of  perfect  indifference. 

This,  at  the  same  time,  is  the  attitude  of  justice.  We  of  the  South 
have  the  same  right  to  our  opinions  as  the  people  of  the  North.  They 
appear  as  true  to  us  as  theirs  appear  to  them.  We  are  as  honest  and 
sincere  in  forming  and  maintaining  them.  We  unite  to  form  a  govern 
ment.  Upon  what  principle  shall  it  be  formed  ?  Is  it  to  be  asked  of  us 
to  renounce  doctrines  which  we  believe  have  come  down  to  us  from  the 
earliest  ages,  and  have  the  sanction  of  the  oracles  of  God  ?  Must  we 
give  up  what  we  conscientiously  believe  to  be  the  truth  ?  The  thing  is 
absurd.  The  Government,  in  justice,  can  only  say  to  both  parties :  I 
will  protect  you  both,  I  will  be  the  advocate  of  neither. 

In  order  to  exempt  slavery  from  the  operation  of  this  plain  principle 
of  justice,  it  has  been  contended  that  the  right  of  property  in  slaves  is 
the  creature  of  positive  statute,  and,  consequently,  of  force  only  within 
the  limits  of  the  jurisdiction  of  the  law ;  that  it  is  a  right  not  recognized 
by  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and,  therefore,  not  to  be  pro 
tected  where  Congress  is  the  local  legislature.  These  two  propositions 
contain  everything  that  has  any  show  of  reason  for  the  extraordinary 
revolution  which  the  recent  election  has  consummated  in  the  Govern 
ment  of  the  United  States. 

They  are  both  gratuitous  : 

(1.)  In  the  first  place,  slavery  has  never,  in  any  country,  so  far  as  we 
know,  arisen  under  the  operation  of  statute  law.  It  is  not  a  municipal 
institution  ;  it  is  not  the  arbitrary  creature  of  the  State :  it  has  not  sprung 
from  the  mere  force  of  legislation.  Law  defines,  modifies,  and  regulates 
it,  as  it  does  every  other  species  of  property ;  but  law  never  created  it. 
The  law  found  it  in  existence,  and  being  in  existence,  the  law  subjects  it 
to  fixed  rules.  On  the  contrary,  what  is  local  and  municipal  is  the  abo 
lition  of  slavery.  The  States  that  are  now  non-slaveholding,  have  been 
mnde  so  by  positive  statute.  Slavery  exists,  of  course,  in  every  nation 
in  which  it  is  not  prohibited.  It  arose,  in  the  progress  of  human  events, 
from  the  operation  of  moral  causes  ;  it  has  been  grounded  by  philo 
sophers  in  moral  maxims ;  it  has  always  been  held  to  be  moral  by  the 
vast  majority  of  the  race.  No  age  has  been  without  it.  From  the  first 
dawn  of  a\ithentic  history,  until  the  present  period,  it  has  come  down  to 
us  through  all  the  course  of  ages.  We  find  it  among  nomadic  tribes, 
barbarian  hordes,  and  civilized  States.  Wherever  communities  have 
been  organized,  and  any  rights  of  property  have  been  recognized  at  all, 


598  APPENDIX. 

there  slavery  is  seen.  If,  therefore,  there  can  be  any  property  which 
can  be  said  to  be  founded  in  the  common  consent  of  the  human  race,  it 
is  the  property  in  slaves.  If  there  be  any  property  that  can  be  called 
natural,  in  the  sense  that  it  spontaneously  springs  up  in  the  history  of 
the  species,  it  is  the  property  in  slaves.  If  there  be  any  property  which 
is  founded  in  principles  of  universal  operation,  it  is  the  property  in 
slaves.  To  say  of  an  institution,  whose  history  is  thus  the  history  of 
man,  which  has  always  and  everywhere  existed,  that  it  is  a  local  and 
municipal  relation,  is  of  "  all  absurdities  the  motliest,  the  merest  word 
that  ever  fooled  the  ear  from  out  the  schoolman's  jargon."  .Mankind 
may  have  been  wrong ;  that  is  not  the  question.  The  point  is,  whether 
the  law  made  slavery  ;  whether  it  is  the  police  regulation  of  limited  lo 
calities,  or  whether  it  is  a  property  founded  in  natural  causes,  and  causes, 
of  universal  operation.  "We  say  nothing  as  to  the  moral  character  of  the 
causes.  We  insist  only  upon  the  fact  that  slavery  is  rooted  in  a  common 
law,  wider  and  more  pervading  than  the  common  law  of  England :  THE 

UNIVERSAL  CUSTOM  OF  MANKIND. 

If,  therefore,  slavery  is  not  municipal,  but  natural ;  if  it  is  abolition 
which  is  municipal  and  local ;  then,  upon  the  avowed  doctrines  of  our  op 
ponents,  two  things  follow .:  first,  that  slavery  goes  of  right,  and  as  a  matter 
of  course,  into  every  territory  from  which  it  is  not  excluded  by  positive 
statui!^  ;  and,  second,  that  Congress  is  competent  to  forbid  the  Northern 
States  from  impressing  their  local  peculiarity  of  non-slaveholding  upon 
the  common  soil  of  the  Union.  If  the  Kepublican  argument  is  good  for 
anything,  it  goes  the  whole  length  of  excluding  for  ever  any  additional 
non-slaveholding  States  from  the  Union.  "What  would  they  think  if  the 
South  had  taken  any  such  extravagant  ground  as  this?  What  would 
they  have  done,  if  the  South  had  taken  advantage  of  a  numerical  ma 
jority,  to  legislate  them  and  tlfeir  institutions  for  ever  out  of  the  common 
territory  ?  Would  they  have  submitted  ?  Would  they  have  glorified  the 
Union,  and  yielded  to  the  triumph  of  slavery  ?  We  know  that  they 
would  not.  They  would  have  scorned  the  crotchet  about  municipal  and 
local  laws  which  divested  them  of  their  dearest  rights.  Let  them  give 
the  same  measure  to  others  which  they  expect  from  others.  It  is  a  noble 
maxim,  commended  by  high  authority,  Do  as  you  would  be  done  by. 

The  South  has  neither  asked  for,  nor  does  she  desire,  any  exclusive 
benefits.  All  she  demands  is,  that  as  South,  as  slaveholding,  she  shall  be 
put  upon  the  same  footing  with  the  North,  as  non-slaveholding ;  that  the 
Government  shall  not  undertake  to  say,  one  kind  of  States  is  better  than 
the  other ;  that  it  shall  have  no  preference  as  to  the  character,  in  this 
respect,  of  any  future  States  to  be  added  to  the  Union.  Non-slaveholding 
may  be  superior  to  slaveholding,  but  it  is  not  the  place  of  the  Govern 
ment  to  say  so,  much  less  to  assume  the  right  of  saying  so  upon  a  prin 
ciple  which,  properly  applied,  requires  it  to  say  the  very  reverse. 

There  is  another  sense  in  which  municipal  is  opposed  to  international, 
and,  in  this  sense,  slavery  is  said  to  be  municipal,  because  there  is  no 
obligation,  by  the  law  of  nations,  on  the  part  of  States  in  which 


THE  STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY.  599 

slavery  is  prohibited,  to  respect,  within  the  limits  of  their  own  terri 
tory,  the  rights  of  the  foreign  slaveholder.  This  is  the  doctrine  laid 
down  by  Judge  Story.  No  nation  is  bound  to  accord  to  a  stranger  a 
right  of  property  which  it  refuses  to  its  own  subjects.  We  cannot, 
therefore,  demand  from  the  governments  of  France  or  England,  or  any 
other  foreign  power,  whose  policy  and  interests  are  opposed  to  slavery, 
the  restoration  of  our  fugitives  from  bondage.  We  are  willing  to  con 
cede,  for  the  sake  of  argument,  that  the  principle  in  question  is  an  ad 
mitted  principle  of  international  law,  though  we  are  quite  persuaded 
that  it  is  contrary  to  the  whole  current  of  Continental  authorities,  and  is 
intensely  English.  We  doubt  whether,  even  in  England,  it  can  be  traced 
beyond  the  famous  decision  of  Lord  Mansfield,  in  the  case  of  Somerset. 
But  let  us  admit  the  principle.  What  then  ?  The  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  has  expressly  provided  that  this  principle  shall  not  apply 
within  the  limits  of  Federal  jurisdiction.  With  reference  to  this  country, 
it  has  abrogated  the  law ;  every  State  is  bound  to  respect  the  right  of  the 
Southern  master  to  his  slave.  The  Constitution  covers  the  whole  terri 
tory  of  the  Union,  and  throughout  that  territory  has  taken  slavery  under 
the  protection  of  law.  However  foreign  nations  may  treat  our  fugitive 
slaves,  the  States  of  this  confederacy  are  bound  to  treat  them  as  pro 
perty,  and  to  give  them  back  to  their  lawful  owners.  How  idle,  there 
fore,  tc  plead  a  principle  of  international  law,  which,  in  reference  to  the 
relations  of  the  States  of  this  Union,  is  formally  abolished !  Slavery  is 
clearly  a  part  of  the  municipal  law  of  the  United  States ;  and  the  whole 
argument,  from  the  local  character  of  the  institution,  falls  to  the  ground. 
Slaveholding  and  non-slaveholding  are  both  equally  sectional,  and  both 
equally  national. 

(2. )  As  to  the  allegation  that  the  Constitution  nowhere  recognizes  the 
right  of  property  in  slaves,  that  is  equally  unfounded.  We  shall  say  no 
thing  here  of  the  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court,  though  that,  one  would 
think,  is  entitled  to  some  consideration.  We  shall  appeal  to  the  Consti 
tution  itself,  and,  if  there  is  force  in  logic,  we  shall  be  able  to  make  it 
appear  that  the  right  is  not  only  recognized,  but  recognized  with  a  phi 
losophical  accuracy  and  precision  that  seize  only  on  the  essential,  and 
omit  the  variable  and  accidental.  The  subject,  in  the  language  of  the 
Constitution,  is  transferred  from  the  technicalities  of  law,  to  the  higher 
sphere  of  abstract  and  speculative  morality.  Morally  considered,  to 
what  class  does  the  slave  belong  ?  To  the  class  of  persons  held  to  ser 
vice.  The  two  ideas  that  he  is  a  person,  and  as  a  person,  held  to  service, 
constitute  the  generic  conception  of  slavery.  How  is  this  obligation  to 
service  fundamentally  differenced  from  that  of  other  labourers?  By 
this,  as  one  essential  circumstance,  that  it  is  independent  of  the  for 
malities  of  contract.  Add  the  circumstance  that  it  is  for  life,  and  you 
have  a  complete  conception  of  the  thing.  You  have  the  very  definition, 
almost  in  his  own  words,  which  a  celebrated  English  philosopher  gives 
of  slavery:  "I  define  slavery,"  says  Dr.  Paley,  "to  be  an  obligation  to 


600  APPENDIX. 

labour  for  the  benefit  of  the  master,  without  the  contract  or  consent  of 
the  servant."* 

Now,  is  such  an  obligation  recognized  in  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States?  Are  there  persons  spoken  of  in  it  who  are  held  to  ser 
vice  by  a  claim  so  sacred  that  the  Government  allows  them,  however 
anxious  they  may  be  to  do  so,  to  dissolve  it  neither  by  stratagem  nor 
force  ?  If  they  run  away,  they  must  be  remanded  to  those  who  are  en 
titled  to  their  labour,  even  if  they  escape  to  a  territory  whose  local  laws 
would  otherwise  protect  them.  If  they  appeal  to  force,  the  whole  power 
of  the  Union  may  be  brought  to  crush  them.  Can  any  man  say  that  the 
Constitution  does  not  here  recognize  a  right  to  the  labour  and  service 
of  men,  of  persons,  which  springs  from  no  stipulations  of  'their  own,  is 
entirely  independent  of  their  own  consent,  and  which  can  never  be  an-1 
nulled  by  any  efforts,  whether  clandestine  or  open,  on  their  part  ?  This 
is  slavery;  it  is  the  very  essence  and  core  of  the  institution.  That  upon 
which  the  right  of  property  terminates  in  the  slave,  is  his  service  or  la 
bour.  It  is  not  his  soul,  not  his  person,  not  his  moral  and  intellectual 
nature  ;  it  is  his  labour.  This  is  the  thing  which  is  bought  and  sold  in 
the  market ;  and  it  is,  in  consequence,  of  the  right  to  regulate,  control,, 
and  direct  this,  that  the  person  comes  under  an  obligation  to  obey. 
The  ideas  of  a  right  on  one  side,  and  duty  on  the  other,  show  that  the 
slave,  in  this  relation,  is  as  truly  a  person  as  his  master.  The  Consti 
tution,  therefore,  does  recognize  and  protect  slavery,  in  every  moral 
and  ethical  feature  of  it.  The  thing  which,  under  that  name,  has  com 
manded  the  approbation  of  mankind,  is  the  very  thing,  among  others 
analogous  to  it,  included  in  the  third  clause  of  the  second  section  of  the 
fourth  chapter  of  the  Constitution.  We  see  no  way  of  getting  round1 
this  argument.  It  is  idle  to  say  that  slaves  are  not  referred  to ;  it  is 
equally  idle  to  say  that  the  right  of  their  labour  is  not  respected  and 
guarded.  Let  this  right  be  acknowledged  in  the  territories,  and  we  are 
not  disposed  to  wring  changes  upon  words.  Let  the  Government  per 
mit  the  South  to  carry  her  persons  held  to  service,  without  their  con 
sent,  into  the  territories,  and  let  the  right  to  their  labour  be  protected, 
and  there  would  be  no  quarrel  about  slavery.  It  is  unworthy  of  states 
men,  in  a  matter  of  this  sort,  to  quibble  about  legal  technicalities.  That 
the  law  of  slaveholding  States  classes  slaves  among  chattels,  and  speaks- 
of  them  as  marketable  commodities,  does  not  imply  that,  morally  and 
ethically,  they  are  not  persons ;  nor  that  the  property  is  in  them,  rather 
than  in  their  toil.  These  same  laws  treat  them,  in  other  respects,  as 
persons ;  and  speak  of  their  service  as  obedience  or  duty.  The  mean 
ing  of  chattel  is  relative,  and  is  to  be  restricted  to  the  relation  which  it 
implies. 

We  are  happy  to  find  that  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States 
has  fully  confirmed  the  interpretation  which  we  have  given  to  this 
clause  of  the  Constitution.  In  the  case  of  Priggs  vs.  the  Cornmon- 

*MoralPhilos.III.,c.3. 


THE  STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY.  601 

wealth  of  Pennsylvania,*  it  was  asserted  by  every  judge  upon  the  bench 
that  the  design  of  the  provision  was  "to  secure  to  the  citizens  of  the 
slaveholding  States  the  complete  right  and  title  of  ownership  in  their 
slaves,  as  properly,  in  <  \x-ry  State  in  the  Union  into  which  they  might 
escape  from  the  State  where  tin  y  were  held  in  servitude."  These  are 
the  very  words  of  Mr.  Justice  Story,  in  delivering  the  opinion  of  the 
Court.  He  went  on  to  add:  "The  full  recognition  of  this  right  and 
title  was  indispensable  to  the  security  of  this  species  of  property  in  all 
the  slaveholdiug  States ;  and,  indeed,  was  so  vital  to  the  preservation  of 
the  domestic  interests  and  institutions,  that  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  it 
constituted  a  fundamental  article,  without  the  adoption  of  which  the 
Union  could  not  have  been  formed."!  Again  :  "  We  have  said  that  the 
clause  contains  a  positive  and  unqualified  recognition  of  the  right  of  the 
owner  in  the  slave. "J  Chief  Justice  Taney  held  that,  "by  the  national 
compact,  this  right  of  property  is  recognized  as  an  existing  right  in 
every  State  of  the  Union.  "§  Judge  Thompson  said,  the  Constitution 
"affirms,  in  the  most  unequivocal  manner,  the  right  of  the  master  to 
the  service  of  his  slave,  according  to  the  laws  of  the  State  under  which 
he  is  so  held.  "||  Judge  Wayne  affirmed  that  all  the  judges  concurred 
"in  the  declaration  that  the  provision  in  the  Constitution  was  a  compro 
mise  between  the  slaveholding  and  the  iioii-slaveholding  States,  to  secure 
to  the  former  fugitive  slaves  as  property."^  "  The  paramount  authority 
of  this  clause  in  the  Constitution,"  says  Judge  Daniel,  "to  guarantee 
to  the  owner  the  right  of  property  in  his  slave,  and  the  absolute  nullity 
of  any  State  power,  directly  or  indirectly,  openly  or  covertly,  aimed  to 
impair  that  right,  or  to  obstruct  its  enjoyment,  I  admit — nay,  insist 
•upon— to  the  fullest  extent."** 

If,  now,  the  Constitution  recognizes  slaves  as  property — that  is,  as 
persons  to  whose  labour  and  service  the  master  has  a  right — then,  upon 
what  principle  shall  Congress  undertake  to  abolish  this  right  upon  a 
territory  of  which  it  is  the  local  legislature  ?  It  will  not  permit  the 
slave  to  cancel  it,  because  the  service  is  due.  Upon  what  ground  can  it 
interpose  between  a  man  and  his  dues  ?  Congress  is  as  much  the  agent 
of  the  slaveholding  as  it  is  of  the  non-slaveholding  States ;  aiid,  as. 
equally  bound  to  protect  both,  and  to  hold  the  scales  of  justice  even 
between  them,  it  must  guard  the  property  of  the  one  with  the  same 
care  with  which  it  guards  the  property  of  the  other. 

We  have  now  refuted  the  postulates  upon  which  the  recent  revolution, 
in  the  Government  is  attempted  to  be  justified.  We  have  shown  that 
slavery  is  not  the  creature  of  local  and  municipal  law,  and  that  the  Con 
stitution  distinctly  recognizes  the  right  of  the  master  to  the  labour  or 
service  of  the  slave ;  that  is,  the  right  of  property  in  slaves.  There  is 
no  conceivable  pretext,  then,  for  saying  that  the  Government  should 
resist  the  circulation  of  this  kind  of  property  more  than  any  other. 

I 

*  16  Peters,  p.  539,  et  seq.  III.,  p.  611.  lib.,  613.  §  76.,  p.  628. 

H  Ib.,  p.  634.  f/6.,p.  637.  **  76.,  p   165. 


602  APPENDIX. 

That  question  it  must  leave  to  the  providence  of  God,  and  to  the  na 
tural  and  moral  laws  by  which  its  solution  is  conditioned.  All  that  the 
Government  can  do  is  to  give  fair  play  to  both  parties,  the  slaveholding 
and  non-slaveholding  States  ;  protect  the  rights  of  both  on  their  com 
mon  soil,  and  as  soon  as  a  sovereign  State  emerges,  to  which  the  soil  is 
henceforward  to  belong,  remit  the  matter  to  its  absolute  discretion. 
This  is  justice ;  this  is  the  impartiality  which  becomes  the  agent  of  a 
great  people,  divided  by  two  such  great  interests. 

That  the  rights  of  the  South,  as  slavefiolding, — for  it  is  in  that  relation 
only  that  she  is  politically  a  different  section  from  the  North, — and  the 
rights  of  the  North,  as  non-slaveholding,  are  absolutely  equal,  is  so  plain 
a  proposition,  that  one  wonders  at  the  pertinacity  with  which  it  has 
been  denied.  Here  let  us  expose  a  sophism  whose  only  force  consists 
in  a  play  upon  words.  It  is  alleged  that  the  equality  of  the  sections  is 
not  disturbed  by  the  exclusion  of  slavery  from  the  territories,  because  the 
Southern  man  may  take  with  him  all  that  the  Northern  man  can  take. 
The  plain  English  of  which  is  this :  if  the  Southern  man  will  consent  to 
become  as  a  Northern  man,  and  renounce  what  distinguishes  him  as  a 
Southern  man,  he  may  go  into  the  territories.  But  if  he  insists  upon 
remaining  "a  Soutliern  man,  he  must  stay  at  home.  The  geography  is 
only  an  accident  in  this  matter.  The  Southern  man,  politically,  is  the 
slaveholder ;  the  Northern  man,  politically,  is  the  non-slaveholder. 
The  rights  of  the  South  are  the  rights  of  the  South  as  slaveholding ; 
the  rights  of  the  North  are  the  rights  of  the  North  as  non-slaveholding. 
This  is  what  makes  the  real  difference  betwixt  the  two  sections.  To 
exclude  slaveholding  is,  therefore,  to  exclude  the  South.  By  the  free- 
soil  doctrine,  therefore,  she,  as  South,  is  utterly  debarred  from  every 
foot  of  the  soil  which  belongs  of  right  as  much  to  her  as  to  her  Northern 
confederates.  The  Constitution  is  made  to  treat  her  institutions  as  if 
they  were  a  scandal  and  reproach.  It  becomes  the  patron  of  the  North, 
and  an  enemy,  instead  of  a  protector,  to  her. 

That  this  is  the  attitude  which  the  Government  is  henceforward  to 
assume,  we  shall  now  proceed  to  show : 

(1.)  In  the  first  place,  let  it  be  distinctly  understood  that  we  do  not 
charge  the  great  body  of  the  Northern  people,  who  have  accomplished 
the  recent  revolution,  with  being  abolitionists,  in  the  strict  and  techni 
cal  sense.  We  are  willing  to  concede  that  they  have  no  design,  for  the 
present,  to  interfere  directly  with  slavery  in  the  slaveholding  States. 
"We  shall  give  them  credit  for  an  honest  purpose,  under  Mr.  Lincoln's 
administration,  to  execute,  as  far  as  the  hostility  of  the  States  will  let 
them,  the  provisions  of  the  fugitive  slave  law.  All  this  may  be  ad 
mitted  ;  but  it  does  not  affect  the  real  issue,  nor  mitigate  the  real  dan 
ger.  We  know  that  there  are  various  types  of  opinion  at  the  North, 
with  reference  to  the  moral  aspects  of  slavery ;  and  we  have  never  ap 
prehended  that,  under  the  Constitution  as  it  stands,  there  was  any  like 
lihood  of  an  attempt  to  interfere,  by  legislation,  with  our  property  on 
our  own  soil. 


STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY.  G03 

(2.)  But,  in  the  second  place,  it  must  likewise  be  conceded  that  the 
general,  almost  the  universal,  attitude  of,  the  Northern  mind  is  one  of 
hostility  to  slavery.  Those  who  are  not  prepared  to  condemn  it  as  a 
sin,  nor  to  meddle  with  it  where  it  is  legally  maintained,  are  yet  op 
posed  to  it,  as  a  natural  and  political  evil,  which  every  good  man  should 
desire  to  see  extinguished.  They  all  regard  it  as  a  calamity,  an  afflic 
tion,  a  misfortune.  They  regard  it  as  an  element  of  weakness,  and  as 
a  draw-back  upon  the  prosperity  and  glory  of  the  country.  They  pity 
the  South,  as  caught  in  the  folds  of  a  serpent,  which  is  gradually  squeez 
ing  out  her  life.  And,  even  when  they  defend  us  from  the  reproach  of 
sin  in  sustaining  the  relation,  they  make  so  many  distinctions  between 
the  abstract  notion  of  slavery  and  the  system  of  our  own  laws,  that 
their  defence  would  hardly  avail  to  save  us,  if  there  were  any  power 
competent  to  hang  and  quarter  us.  We  are  sure  that  we  do  not  mis 
represent  the  general  tone  of  Northern  sentiment.  It  is  one  of  hostility 
to  slavery ;  it  is  one  which,  while  it  might  not  be  willing  to  break  faith, 
under  the  present  administration,  with  respect  to  the  express  injunctions 
of  the  Constitution,  is  utterly  and  absolutely  opposed  to  any  further  ex 
tension  of  the  system. 

(3.)  In  the  third  place,  let  it  be  distinctly  understood  that  we  have  no 
complaint  to  make  of  the  opinions  of  the  North,  considered  simply  as 
their  opinions.  They  have  a  right,  so  far  as  human  authority  is  con 
cerned,  to  think  as  they  please.  The  South  has  never  asked  them  to 
approve  of  slavery,  or  to  change  their  own  institutions,  and  to  introduce 
it  among  themselves.  The  South  has  been  willing  to  accord  to  them 
the  most  perfect  and  unrestricted  right  of  private  judgment. 

(4.)  But  in  the  fourth  place,  what  we  do  complain  of,  and  what  we 
have  a  right  to  complain  of,  is  that  they  should  not  be  content  with 
thinking  their  own  thoughts  themselves,  but  should  undertake  to  make 
the  Government  think  them  likewise.  We  of  the  South  have,  also,  cer 
tain  thoughts  concerning  slavery ;  and  we  cannot  understand  upon 
what  principle  the  thinking  of  the  South  is  totally  excluded,  and  the 
thinking  of  the  North  made  supreme.  The  Government  is  as  much 
ours  as  theirs ;  and  we  cannot  see  why,  in  a  matter  that  vitally  con 
cerns  ourselves,  we  shall  be  allowed  to  do  no  effective  thinking  at  all. 
This  is  the  grievance.  The  Government  is  made  to  take  the  type  of 
Northern  sentiment ;  it  is  animated,  in  its  relations  to  slavery,  by  the 
Northern  mind ;  and  the  South,  henceforward,  is  no  longer  of  the  Go 
vernment,  but  only  under  the  Government.  The  extension  of  slavery, 
in  obedience  to  Northern  prejudice,  is  to  be  for  ever  arrested.  Con 
gress  is  to  treat  it  as  an  evil,  an  element  of  political  weakness,  and  to 
restrain  its  influence  within  the  limits  which  now  circumscribe  it.  All 
this  because  the  North  thinks  so;  while  the  South,  an  equal  party  to 
the  Government,  has  quite  other  thoughts.  And  when  we  indignantly 
complain  of  this  absolute  suppression  of  all  right  to  think  in  and  through 
our  own  Government,  upon  a  subject  that  involves  our  homes  and  our 
firesides,  we  are  coolly  reminded  that,  as  long  as  Congress  does  not 


604:  APPENDIX. 

usurp  the  rights  of  our  own  Legislatures,  and  abolish  slavery  on  our 
own  soil,  nor  harbour  our  fugitives  when  they  attempt  to  escape  from 
us,  we  have  reason  to  be  grateful  for  the  indulgence  accorded  to  us. 
The  right  to  breathe  is  as  much  as  \ve  should  venture  to  claim.  You 
may  exist,  says  free-soilism,  as  States,  and  manage  your  slaves  at  home ; 
we  will  not  abrogate  your  sovereignty.  Your  runaways  we  do  not  want, 
and  we  may  occasionally  send  them  back  to  you.  But  if  you  think  you 
have  a  right  to  be  heard  at  "Washington  upon  this  great  subject,  it  is 
time  that  your  presumption  should  be  rebuked.  The  North  is  'the 
thinking  power,  the  soul  of  the  Government.  The  life  of  the  Govern 
ment  is  Northern,  not  Southern ;  the  type  to  be  impressed  upon  all 
future  States  is  Northern,  not  Southern.  The  North  becomes  the  United 
States,  and  the  South  a  subject  province. 

Now,  we  say  that  this  is  a  state  of  things  not  to  be  bor'ne.  A  freo 
people  can  never  consent  to  their  own  degradation.  "We  say  boldly, 
that  the  Government  has  no  more  right  to  adopt  Northern  thoughts  on 
the  subject  of  slavery  than  those  of  the  South.  It  has  no  more  right 
to  presume  that  they  are  true.  It  has  no  right  to  arbitrate  between 
them.  It  must  treat  them  both  with  equal  respect,  and  give  them  an 
equal  chance.  Upon  no  other  footing  can  the  South,  with  honour,  remain 
in  the  Union.  It  is  not  to  be  endured  for  a  moment,  that  fifteen  sovereign 
States,  embodying,  in  proportion  to  their  population,  as  nmch  intelli 
gence,  virtue,  public  spirit  and  patriotism,  as  any  other  people  upon  the 
globe,  should  be  quietly  reduced  to  zero,  in^a  Government  which  they 
framed  for  their  own  protection.  "We  put  the  question  again  to  the 
North  :  "If  the  tables  were  turned,  and  it  was  your  thoughts,  your  life, 
your  institutions,  that  the  Government  was  henceforward  to  discounte 
nance  ;  if  non-slaveholding  was  hereafter  to  be  prohibited  in  every  ter 
ritory,  and  the  whole  policy  of  the  Government  shaped  by  the  principle 
that  slavery  is  a  blessing,  would  you  endure  it  ?  Would  not  your  blood 
boil,  and  would  you  not  call  upon  your  hungry  millions  to  come  to  the 
rescue  ? "  And  yet,  this  is  precisely  what  you  have  done  to  us,  and. 
think  we  ought  not  to  resist.  You  have  made  us  ciphers,  and  are  utterly 
amazed  that  we  should  claim  to  be  anything. 

But,  apart  from  the  degradation  which  it  inflicts  upon  the  South,  it 
may  be  asked,  what  real  injury  will  result  from  putting  the  Government 
in  an  attitude  of  hostility  to  slavery  ? 

The  answer  is,  in  the  first  place,  that  it  will  certainly  lead  to  the 
extinction  of  the  system.  You  may  destroy  the  oak  as  effectually  by 
girdling  it  as  by  cutting  it  down.  The  North  are  well  assured  that,  if 
they  can  circumscribe  the  area  of  slavery,  if  they  can  surround  it  with 
a  circle  of  non-slaveholding  States,  and  prevent  it  from  expanding, 
nothing  more  is  required  to  secure  its  ultimate  abolition.  "Like  the 
scorpion  girt  by  fire,*  it  will  plunge  its  fangs  into  its  own  body,  and- 
perish.  If,  therefore,  the  South  is  not  prepared  to  see  her  institutions 
surrounded  by  enemies,  and  wither  and  decay  under  these  hostile  influ 
ences,  if  she  means  to  cherish  and  protect  them,  it  is  her  bounden  duty 


STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY.  605 

to  resist  the  revolution  which  threatens  tin  m  with  ruin.  The  triumph  of 
the  principles  which  Mr.  Lincoln  is  pledged  to  carry  out,  is  the  dejith- 
kuell  of  slavery. 

In  the  next  place,  the  state  of  the  Northern  mind  which  lias  produced 
this  revolution,  cannot  be  expected  to  remain  content  with  its  present 
victory.  It  will  hasten  to  other  triumphs.  The  same  spirit  which  Ins 
prevaricated  with  the  express  provisions  of  the  Constitution,  and  iv- 
•  sorted  to  expedients  to  evade  the  most  sacred  obligations,  will  not  hesi 
tate  for  a  moment  to  change  the  Constitution  when  it  finds  itself  in 
possession  of  the  power.  It  will  only  be  consistency  to  harmonize  the 
fundamental  law  of  the  Government  with  its  chosen  policy,  the  real 
workings  of  its  life.  The  same  hostility  to  slavery  which  a  numerical 
majority  has  impressed  upon  the  Federal  legislature,  it  will  not  scruple 
to  impress  "upon  the  Federal  Constitution.  If  the  South  could  be  in 
duced  to  submit  to  Lincoln,  the  time,  we  confidently  predict,  will  come 
jvhen  all  grounds  of  controversy  will  be  removed  in  relation  to  fugitive 
slaves,  by  expunging  the  provision  under  which  they  are  claimed.  The 
principle  is  at  work,  and  enthroned  in  power,  whose  inevitable  tendency 
is  to  secure  this  result.  Let  us  crush  the  serpent  in  the  egg. 

From  these  considerations,  it  is  obvious  that  nothing  more  nor  less  is 
at  stake  in  this  controversy  than  the  very  life  of  the  South.  The  real 
question  is,  whether  she  shall  be  politically  annihilated.  We  are  not 
struggling  for  fleeting  and  temporary  interests.  "We  are  struggling  for 
our  very  being.  And  none  know  better  than  the  Republican  party  itself 
that,  if  we 'submit  to  their  new  type  of  government,  our  fate  as 'slave- 
holding  States  is  for  ever  sealed.  They  have  already  exulted  in  the  pros 
pect  of  this  glorious  consummation.  They  boast  that  they  have  laid  a 
mine  which  nmst  ultimately  explode  in  our  utter  ruin.  They  are  singing 
songs  of  victory  in  advance,  and  are  confidently  anticipating  the  auspi 
cious  hour  when  they  shall  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  return  to  the  field 
and  bury  the  dead. 

The  sum  of  what  we  have  said  is  briefly  this :  We  have  shown  that  the 
constitutional  attitude  of  the  Government  toward  slavery  is  one  of  abso 
lute  neutrality  or  indifference  in  relation  to  the  moral  and  political  as 
pects  of  the  subject.  We  have  shown,  in  the  next  place,  that  it  is  here 
after  to  take  an  attitude  of  hostility ;  that  it  is  to  represent  the  opinions 
and  feelings  exclusively  of  the  North  ;  that  it  is  to  become  the  Govern 
ment  of  one  section  over  another ;  and  that  the  South,  as  South,  is  to 
sustain  no  other  relation  to  it  but  the  duty  of  obedience. 

This  is  a  thorough  and  radical  revolution.  It  makes  a  new  Govern 
ment  ;  it  proposes  new  and  extraordinary  terms  of  union.  The  old 
Government  is  as  completely  abolished  as  if  the  people  of  the  United 
States  had  met  in  convention  and  repealed  the  Constitution.  It  is  friv 
olous  to  tell  us  that  the  change  has  been  made  through  the  forms  of  the 
Constitution.  This  is  to  add  insult  to  injury.  What  signify  forms, 
when  the  substance  is  gone  ?  Of  what  value  is  the  shell,  when  the  kernel 
is  extracted  ?  Rights  are  things,  and  not  words ;  and  when  the  things 


606  APPENDIX. 

are  taken  from  us,  it  is  no  time  to  be  nibbling  at  phrases.  If  a  witness 
nnder  oath  designedly  gives  testimony,  which,  though  literally  true, 
conveys  a  false  impression,  is  he  not  guilty  of  perjury  ?  Is  not  his  truth 
a  lie  ?  Temures  kept  the  letter  of  his  promise  to  the  garrison  of  Sebastia, 
that,  if  they  would  surrender,  no  blood  should  be  shed ;  but  did  that 
save  him  from  the  scandal  of  treachery  in  burying  them  alive  ?  No  man 
objects  to  the  legality  of  the  process  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  election.  The  ob 
jection  is  to  the  legality  of  that  to  which  he  is  elected.  He  has  been 
chosen,  not  to  administer,  but  to  revolutionize  the  Government.  The 
very  moment  he  goes  into  office,  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  is 
touching  the  great  question  between  North  and  South,  is  dead.  The 
oath  which  makes  him  President,  makes  a  new  Union.  The  import  of 
secession  is  simply  the  refusal,  on  the  part  of  the  South,  to  be  parties  to 
any  such  Union.  She  has  not  renounced,  and,  if  it  had  been  permitted 
to  stand,  she  never  would  have  renounced,  the  Constitution  which  our 
fathers  framed.  She  would  have  stood  by  it  for  ever.  But,  as  the  North 
have  substantially  abolished  it,  and,  taking  advantage  of  their  numbers, 
have  substituted  another  in  i^/s  place,  which  dooms  the  South  to  per 
dition,  surely  she  has  a  right  to  say  she  will  enter  into  no  such  conspi 
racy.  The  Government  to  which  she  consented  was  a  Government  under 
which  she  might  hope  to  live.  The  new  one  presented  in  its  place  is 
one  under  which  she  can  only  die.  Under  these  circumstances,  we  do 
not  see  how  any  man  can  question  either  the  righteousness  or  the  neces 
sity  of  secession.  The  South  is  shut  up  to  the  duty  of  rejecting  these 
new  terms  of  union.  No  people  on  earth,  without  judicial  infatuation, 
can  organize  a  government  to  destroy  them.  It  is  too  much  to  ask  a 
man  to  sign  his  own  death-warrant. 

II.  We  wish  to  say  a  few  words  as  to  the  policy  of  the  slaveholding 
States  in  the  present  emergency. 

We  know  it  to  be  the  fixed  determination  of  them  all  not  to  acquiesce 
in  the  principles  which  have  brought  Mr.  Lincoln  into  power.  Several 
of  them,  however,  have  hesitated — and  it  is  a  sign  of  the  scmpulous  in 
tegrity  of  the  South  in  maintaining  her  faith — whether  the  mere  fact  of 
his  election,  apart  from  any  overt  act  of  the  Government,  is  itself  a  casus 
belli,  and  a  sufficient  reason  for  extreme  measures  of  resistance.  These 
States  have  also  clung  to  the  hope  that  there  would  yet  be  a  returning 
sense  of  justice  at  the  North,  which  shall  give  them  satisfactory  guaran 
tees  for  the  preservation  of  their  rights,  and  restore  peace  without  the 
necessity  of  schism.  We  respect  the  motives  which  have  produced  this 
hesitation.  We  have  no  sympathy  with  any  taunting  reflections  upon 
the  courage,  magnanimity,  public  spirit,  or  patriotism  of  such  a  Com 
monwealth  as  Virginia.  The  mother  of  Washington  is  not  to  be  insulted 
if,  like  her  great  hero,  she  takes  counsel  of  moderation  and  prudence. 
We  honour,  too,  the  sentiment  which  makes  it  hard  to  give  up  the 
Union.  It  was  a  painful  struggle  to  ourselves  ;  the  most  painful  struggle 
of  our  lives.  There  were  precious  memories  and  hallowed  associations, 
connected  with  a  glorious  history,  to  which  the  heart  cannot  bid  farewell 


STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY.  607 

without  a  pang.  Few  men,  in  all  the  South,  brought  themselves  to  pro 
nounce  the  word  DISUNION,  without  sadness  of  heart.  Some  States  have 
not  yet  been  able  to  pronounce  it.  But  the  tendency  of  events  is  irre 
sistible.  It  is  becoming  every  day  clearer  that  the  people  of  the  North 
hate  slavery  more  than  they  love  the  Union,  and  they  are  developing 
this  spirit  in  a  form  which  must  soon  bring  every  slaveholding  State 
within  the  ranks  of  secession.  The  evil  day  may  be  put  off,  but  it  must 
come.  The  country  must  be  divided  into  two  people,  and  the  point 
which  we  wish  now  to  press  upon  the  whole  South  is,  the  importance  of 
preparing,  at  once,  for  this  consummation. 

The  slaveholding  interest  is  one,  and  it  seems  to  us  clear  that  the 
slaveholding  States  ought  speedily  to  be  organized  under  one  general 
Government.  United,  they  are  strong  enough  to  maintain  themselves 
against  the  world.  They  have  the  territory,  the  resources,  the  popu 
lation,  the  public  spirit,  the  institutions,  which,  under  a  genial  and  fos 
tering  Constitution,  would  soon  enable  them  to  become  one  of  the  first 
people  upon  the  globe.  And  if  the  North  shah1  have  wisdom  to  see  her 
true  policy,  two  Governments  upon  this  continent  may  work  out  the 
problem  of  human  liberty  more  successfully  than  one.  Let  the  two 
people  maintain  the  closest  alliance  for  defence  against  a  foreign  foe  ;  or, 
at  least,  let  them  be  agreed  that  no  European  power  shall  ever  set  foot 
on  American  soil,  and  that  no  type  of  government  but  the  republican 
shall  ever  be  tolerated  here ;  and  what  is  to  hinder  the  fullest  and  freest 
development  of  our  noble  institutions  ?  The  separation  changes  nothing 
but  the  external  relations  of  the  two  sections.  Such  a  dismemberment 
of  the  Union  is  not  like  the  revolution  of  a  State,  where  the  internal 
system  of  government  is  subverted,  where  laws  are  suspended,  and 
where  anarchy  reigns.  The  country  might  divide  into  two  great  nations 
to-morrow,  without  a  jostle  or  a  jar ;  the  Government  of  each  State  might 
go  on  as  regularly  as  before,  the  law  be  as  supreme,  and  order  as  perfect, 
if  the  passions  of  the  people  could  be  kept  from  getting  the  better  of 
their  judgments.  It  is  a  great  advantage,  in  the  form  of  our  Con 
federacy,  that  a  radical  revolution  can  take  place  without  confusion  and 
without  anarchy.  Every  State  has  a  perfect  internal  system  at  work 
already,  and  that  undergoes  no  change,  except  in  adjusting  it  to  its 
altered  external  relations.  Now,  given  this  system  of  States,  with  every 
element  of  a  perfect  government  in  f ull  and  undisturbed  operation,  what 
is  there  in  the  circumstance  of  one  Confederacy  of  divided  interests,  that 
shall  sectfre  a  freer  and  safer  development  than  two  Confederacies,  each 
representing  an  undivided  interest  ?  Are  not  two  homogeneous  Unions 
stronger  than  one  that  is  heterogeneous  ?  Should  not  the  life  of  a  Gov 
ernment  be  one  ?  We  do  not  see,  therefore,  that  anything  will  be  lost 
to  freedom  by  the  union  of  the  South  under  a  separate  Government.  She 
will  carry  into  it  every  institution  that  she  had  before — her  State  consti 
tutions,  her  legislatures,  her  courts  of  justice,  her  halls  of  learning — 
everything  that  she  now  possesses.  She  will  put  these  precious  interests 
under  a  Government  embodying  every  principle  which  gave  value  to  the 


608  APPENDIX. 

old  one,  and  amply  adequate  to  protect.  What  will  she  lose  of  real  free 
dom  ?  We  confess  that  we  cannot  understand  the  declamation  that,  with 
the  American  Union,  American  institutions  are  gone.  Each  section  of 
the  Union  will  preserve  them  and  cherish  them.  Every  principle  that 
has  ever  made  us  glorious,  and  made  our  Government  a  wonder,  will 
abide  with  us.  The  sections,  separately,  will  no't  be  as  formidable  to 
foreign  powers  as  before.  That  is  all.  But  each  section  will  be  strong 
enough  to  protect  itself,  and  both  together  can  save  this  continent  for 
republicanism  for  ever. 

Indeed,  it  is  likely  that  both  Governments  will  be  purer,  in  consequence 
of  their  mutual  rivalry,  and  the  diminution  of  the  extent  of  their  patron 
age.  They  will  both  cherish  intensely  the  American  feeling,  both  main 
tain  the  pride  of  American  character,  and  both  tvy  to  make  their  Gov 
ernments  at  home  what  they  would  desire  to  have  them  appear  to  be 
abroad.  Once  take  away  all  pretext  for  meddling  with  one  another's 
peculiar  interests,  and  we  do  not  see  but  that  the  magnificent  visions  of 
glory,  which  .our  imaginations  have  delighted  to  picture  as  the  destiny 
of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  on  this  North  American  continent,  may  yet  be 
fully  realized.  They  never  can  be,  if  we  continue  together,  to  bite  and 
devour  one  another. 

But,  whether  it  be  for  weal  for  woe,  the  South  has  no  election.  She 
is  driven  to  the  wall,  and  the  only  question  is,  will  she  take  care  of  her 
self  in  time  ?  The  sooner  she  can  organize  a  general  Government  the 
better.  That  will  be  a  centre  of  unity,  and,  once  combined,  we  are 
safe. 

We  cannot  close  without  saying  a  few  words  to  the  people  of  the 
North  as  to  the  policy  which  it  becomes  them  to  pursue.  The  whole 
question  of  peace  or  war  is  in  their  hands.  The  South  is  simply  stand 
ing  on  the  defensive,  and  has  no  notion  of  abandoning  that  attitude. 
Let  the  Northern  people,  then,  seriously  consider,  and  consider  in  the 
fear  of  God,  how,  under  present  circumstances,  they  can  best  conserve 
those  great  interests  of  freedom,  of  religion,  and  of  order,  which  are 
equally  dear  to  us  both,  and  which  they  can  fearfully  jeopard.  If  their 
counsels  incline  to  peace,  the  most  friendly  relations  can  speedily  be 
restored,  and  the  most  favourable  treaties  entered  into.  We  should  feel 
ourselves  the  joint  possessors  of  the  continent,  and  should  be  drawn 
together  by  ties  which  unite  no  other  people.  We  could,  indeed,  realize 
all  the  advantages  of  the  Union,  without  any  of  its  inconveniences.  The 
cause  of  human  liberty  would  not  even  be  retarded,  if  the  North  can 
rise  to  a  level  with  the  exigencies  of  the  occasion.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  their  thoughts  incline  to  war,  we  solemnly  ask  them  what  they 
expect  to  gain  ?  What  interest  will  be  promoted  ?  What  end,  worthy 
of  a  great  people,  will  they  be  able  to  secure  ?  They  may  gratify  their 
bad  passions,  they  may  try  to  wreak  their  resentment  upon  the  seceding 
States,  and  they  may  inflict  a  large  amount  of  injury,  disaster,  and  suffer 
ing.  But  what  have  they  gained  ?  Shall  a  free  people  be  governed  by 
their  passions  ?  Suppose  they  should  conquer  us,  what  will  they  do  with 


STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY.  609 

us  ?  How  will  they  hold  us  in  subjection  ?  How  many  gnrrisons,  and 
how  many  men,  and  how  much  treasure,  will  it  take  to  keep  the  South 
in  order  as  a  conquered  province  ?  and  where  are  these  resources  to 
come  from  ?  After  they  have  subdued  us,  the  hardest  part  of  their  task 
will  remain.  They  will  have  the  wolf  by  the  ears. 

But  upon  what  grounds  do  they  hope  to  conquer  us  ?  They  know  us 
well ;  they  know  our  numbers,  they  know  our  spirit,  and  they  know  the 
value  which  we  set  upon  our  homes  and  firesides.  We  have  fought  for 
the  glory  of  the  Union,  and  the  world  admired  us ;  but  it  was  not  such 
fighting  as  we  shall  do  for  our  wives,  our  children,  and  our  sacred  hon 
our.  The  very  women  of  the  South,  like  the  Spartan  matrons,  will  take 
hold  of  shield  and  buckler,  and  our  boys  at  school  will  go  to  the  field  in 
all  the  determination  of  disciplined  valour.  Conquered  we  can  never 
be.  It  would  be  madness  to  attempt  it.  And  after  years  of  blood  and 
slaughter,  the  parties  would  be  just  where  they  began,  except  that  they 
would  have  learned  to  hate  one  another  with  an  intensity  of  hatred 
equalled  only  in  hell.  Freedom  would  suffer,  religion  would  suffer, 
learning  would  suffer,  every  human  interest  would  suffer,  from  such  a 
war.  But  upon  whose  head  would  fall  the  responsibility  ?  There  can 
be  but  one  answer.  We  solemnly  believe  that  the  South  will  be  guilt 
less  before  the  eyes  of  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth.  She  has  stood  in  her 
lot,  and  resisted  aggression. 

If  the  North  could  rise  to  the  dignity  of  their  present  calling,  this 
country  would  present  to  the  world  a  spectacle  of  unparalleled  grandeur. 
It  would  show  how  deeply  the  love  of  liberty  and  the  influence  of  reli 
gion  are  rooted  in  our  people,  when  a  great  empire  can  be  divided  with 
out  confusion,  war,  or  disorder.  Two  great  people  united  under  one 
Government  differ  upon  a  question  of  vital  importance  to  one.  Neither 
can  conscientiously  give  way.  In  the  magnanimity  of  their  souls,  they 
say,  let  there  be  no  strife  between  us,  for  we  are  brethren.  The  land 
is  broad  enough  for  us  both.  Let  us  part  in  peace ;  let  us  divide  our 
common  inheritance,  adjust  our  common  obligations ;  and,  preserving 
as  a  sacred  treasure  our  common  principles,  let  each  set  up  for  himself, 
and  let  the  Lord  bless  us  both.  A  course  like  this — heroic,  sublime, 
glorious — would  be  something  altogether  unexampled  in  the  history  of 
the  world.  It  would  be  the  wonder  and  astonishment  of  the  nations. 
It  would  do  more  to  command  for  American  institutions  the  homage 
and  respect  of  mankind  than  all  the  armies  and  fleets  of  the  Republic. 
It  would  be  a  victory  more  august  and  imposing  than  any  which  can  be 
achieved  by  the  thunder  of  cannon  and  the  shock  of  battle. 

Peace  is  the  policy  of  both  North  and  South.  Let  peace  prevail,  and 
nothing  really  valuable  is  lost.  To-  save  the  Union  is  impossible.  The 
thing  for  Christian  men  and  patriots  to  aim  at  now,  is  to  save  the  coun 
try  from  war.  That  will  be  a  scourge  and  a  curse.  But  the  South  will 
emerge  from  it  free  as  she  was  before.  She  is  the  invaded  party,  and 
her  institutions  are  likely  to  gain  strength  from  the  conflict.  Can  the 
North,  as  the  invading  party,  be  assured  that  she  will  not  fall  into  the 


610  APPENDIX. 

hands  of  a  military  despot  ?  The  whole  question  is  with  her ;  and  we 
calmly  await  her  decision.  "We  prefer  peace ;  but  if  war  must  come, 
we  are  prepared  to  meet  it  with  unshaken  confidence  in  the  God  of  bat 
tles.  We  lament  the  wide-spread  mischief  it  will  do,  the  arrest  it  will 
put  upon  every  holy  enterprise  of  the  Church,  and  upon  all  the  interests 
of  life  ;  but  the  South  can  boldly  say  to  the  bleeding,  distracted  country, 


"  Shake  not  thy  gory  locks  at  me  ; 
Thou  canst  not  say  I  did  it.'.' 


INDEX. 


ABSTRACTION,  early  power  of,  44. 

A<  MM: MIC  LIFE,  occasional  dissatisfac 
tion  with,  339;  reasons  for  the  same, 
339-342. 

ACT  AND  TESTIMONY,  206.  207. 

Ai>i>i:i:ss  to  the  Churches  of  Jesus 
Christ,  504. 

^•KVIIIKTIC  ELEMENT,  not  wanting  in, 
147-150. 

AFFLICTION,  unsanctified,  240;  how  to 
lit-  improved,  241 ;  fidelity  to  one  sink- 
ins  in,  419-422. 

AMBITION,  early,  20;  anecdotes  of,  42,  43. 

AMKKICA  AND  EUROPE,  compared,   4.r>7. 

ANDOVER  SEMINARY,  goes  to  and  leaves, 
113,  115. 

ANTKSTRY,  pride  of,  1,  2;  on  the  pater- 
u-il  side,  3. 

APOCRYPHA,  essay  on  the,  226;  discus 
sion  with  Dr.  Lynch  on  the,  245-247; 
book  on  the,  261. 

AFRICAN  SLAVE  TRADE,  opposition  to 
revival  of,  422,  423;  Secession  not 
caused  by  a  purpose  to  re-open,  594. 

ARKANSAS,  admission  of,  473. 

ASPIRATIONS  after  fame,  94. 

A--KMBLY  OF  1837,  reform  measures  of, 
207,  208 ;  a  member  of,  212. 

ASSEMBLY  OF  1845,  a  member  of,  245 ;  its 
action  on  slavery,  285-287. 

ASSEMBLY  OF  1847,  Moderator  of,  297; 
his  salutatory  address,  297,  300. 

ASSEMBLY  OF  1848,  his  opening  sermon 
before,  301 ;  curious  scene  in,  304,  305. 

ASSEMBLY  OF  1852,  criticism  of  its  action 
on  the  Quorum  question,  &c.,  369-371. 

ASSEMBLY  OF  1855,  a  member  of,  389; 
discussion  on  subject  of  Boards,  389, 
390. 

ASSEMBLY  OF  1856,  a  member  of,  417 ; 
his  sermon  on  Foreign  Missions,  417. 

ASSEMBLY  OF  1857,  a  member  of,  423. 

A--KMKLY  OF  1859,  a  member  of.  435; 
remarkable  speech  in,  436,  437;  effect 
of  sermon  preached,  438,  439. 

AW-KMHLY  OF  1860,  a  member  of,  445; 
debate  on  Boards,  446. 

AS<K.M»LY  OF  1861,  the  Spring  resolu 
tions,  501. 

B. 

BALTIMORE,  his  call  to,  267;  this  call 
accepted.  2«S  ;  arrested  for  a  year,  270 ; 
strictures  on  this,  271,  272;  vindication 
of  his  course,  272-279;  finally  defeated 
by  Presbytery,  2S-_'-'>-». 

BAPTISMAL  COVENANT,  his  views  of, 
416. 


BARNWELL,  Hon.  R.  W.,  notice  of,  147. 
BARNES,  REV.  A.,  trial  of,  205.  . 
BASLE,  description  of,  456. 
BENEVOLENCE,  disinterested,  his  views 

of,  124. 

BKNKFACTIONS,  to  young  men,  319. 
BKTHKL  PRESBYTERY,  unites  with,  128. 
BEXTHAM,  criticism  on,  87, 
BIRTH,  his,  2. 

BOOKS,  early  fondness  for,  20,  22. 
BI-HOI-,   REV.  P.  E.,   friendship   with, 

139 ;  death  of,  433 ;  letter  to  widow  of, 

434. 
BISHOP,  MR.  ROBERT,  his  relation  to, 

and  early  death  of,  320 
BIBLE  SOCIETY,  whether  secular  or  re- 
.    ligious,  344. 
.BOARDS,  question  of,  2?1  ;  discussion  on 

in  Synod,  222 ;  his  views  of,  in  letters, 

223,  227    '2-2S;  his  first  article  on,  224; 

his  second  article  on,  229,  389,  390,  446, 

447. 

BRECKINRIDGE,  REV.  DR.  R.  J.,  sympa 
thy  with  on  death  of  his  wife,  264,  265. 
BROWXSOX'S  review  of  his  work  on  the 

Apocrypha,  330,  331 
HIM  SSKLS,  visit  to,  462. 
UCNNKN'S    HIPPOLYTUS,    criticism    on, 

373. 
BUTLER'S  ANALOGY,  analysis  of,  224. 

C. 

CALHOUN,  MR.,  first  interview  with,  305, 

306. 

CALVIN,  compared  with,  532,  533. 
CALIFORNIA,  admission  of,  475. 
CAMBRIDGE  PLATFORM,  189. 
CAMBRIDGE  UNIVERSITY,  goes  to,  116; 

visits  later,  361-365. 
CHAPLAIN  in  South  Carolina  College, 

elected,  156. 

CHARACTER,  his,  when  matured,  138. 
CHANGE  of  political  views,  explained, 

481-483. 
CHERAW,  removal  to,  39;  enters  Cheraw 

Academy,  43:  teaches  in,  103 
CHESTER,  description  of,  170-172. 
CHILD,  death  of  his  first,  138. 
CHILDREN,  letters  to  his  young,  294,  295, 

350,  Ml. 
CHRISTIAN  EXPERIENCE,  form  of  his, 

562,  563. 
Cm  K<  ii,  union  with  the,  95;  his  views 

of  tlie,  as  a  spiritual  agency,  225;    de 
mission  of  membership   in,  30.2,  3U3; 

relation  to    voluntary  societies.  303; 

secularization  of    the  courts  of  the, 

230,  2!)1. 

,  fondness  for  the,  44. 

611 


612 


INDEX. 


COLLEGE,  South  Carolina,  goes  to,  53; 
rejected  at  first,  54;  his  own  account 
of  this,  54,  55;  admitted  on  second  ap 
plication,  56,  57;  high  position  in  his 
class  from  the  first,  59;  elected  Pro 
fessor  in,  144 ;  dissatisfaction  with  po 
sition  in,  264,  267;  views  of  his  useful 
ness  in,  300,  301;  chosen  President  of, 
353;  influence  over  the  students  in, 
3»1 ;  causes  of  the  same,  391-393 ;  illus 
trations  of  it,  394-396. 

COLUMBIA  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  en 
dowment  of,  295 ;  elected  Professor  in, 
381,  382;  correspondence  thereto,  383- 
386. 

COLUMBIA  CHURCH,  fills  pulpit  of,  418. 

CONVERSION,  his,  95;  his  account  of,  95- 
97;  necessity  of,  317-319. 

CONFESSION  AND  PRAYER,  142-144. 

CONFESSION  OF  FAITH,  devotional  use 
of,  165,  165. 

CONGREGATIONALISM,  early  tendency  to 
alliance  with,  188-191 

COOPER,  DR.  THOMAS,  notice  of,  60,  61. 

CONSCIENCE,  scruples  of,  as  College  Pro 
fessor,  153. 

COUNTRY,  his  view  of  expansion  of  the, 

CRISIS  OF  1850,  480. 

D, 

DAUGHTER,  death  of  his  eldest,  439-442. 

DANCING,  his  view  of,  124 

DEATH,  his,  unexpected,  527,  528. 

DEBATER,  first  appearance  as,  40,  41; 
College  reputation  as,  65,  66. 

DISCIPLINE,  BOOK  or,  Chairman  of  Com 
mittee  to  revise,  428,  429 ;  report  on, 
435  ;  changes  proposed,  435,  436. 

DOMESTIC  MISSIONS,  early  sketch  of,  198 
199. 

DOCTOR  OF  DIVINITY,  title  conferred, 
26S,  ;69. 

DOCTRINE,  substance  of,  defined,  197 ; 
aberrations  of,  195,  186. 

DOCTRINAL  TRACTS,  scheme  for  pub 
lishing,  215,  216. 

DUELLING,  early  views  of,  50. 

E. 

EDUCATION,  end  and  method  of,  119, 120, 
356,  357 ;  benefits  of  the  higher  to  the 
masses,  358 ;  duty  of  the  State  in,  325- 
327,  329 ;  relation  of  the  Church  to,  332, 
. 334-338. 

EDUCATION,  American  Society  of,  form 
ed,  199;  its  conflict  with  the  Church, 
200. 

ELDER  QUESTION,  251;  his  views  on, 
2.0:5,  255,  256,  259,  260-^62;  articles  on, 
iT>7,  259,  261. 

ELLIOTT,  REV.  BISHOP,  notice  of,  148. 

ELECTIVE-AFFINITY  PRINCIPLE,  205, 
206. 

ELMORE,  HON.  F.H.,  reflections  on  death 
of,  346 

EVERETT,  MR.,  eulogized,121 ;  interview 
with,  123. 

EUROPE,  first  visit  to,  157 ;  return  from, 
179 ;  second  visit  to,  449-465. 

F. 

FAMILY,  his  father's,  3. 
FARM,  his,  342,  343. 

FAREWELL  LETTER  to  the  old  Assem 
bly,  draft  of,  508,  509. 


FATHER,  character  and  position  of,  3; 
death  of,  4. 

FlTFCLNESS  OF  CHARACTER,  at  one 
time,  explained,  10a-112 

FORM  OF  GOVERNMENT,  early  lax  sub 
scription  of,  185,  186. 

FOREIGN  MISSIONS,  American  Board  of, 
200 ;  it  absorbs  all  the  Assembly's  mis 
sions,  201. 

FREIBOURG,  description  of,  456,  457 

FRENCH  CHARACTER,  view  of,  233,  234. 

FRIENDSHIP,  renewal  of  early,  308. 

G. 

GENEROSITY  OF  His  PATRONS,  curious 
correspondence,  71-73. 

GENESEE,  Synod  of,  formed,  193. 

GENEVA,  Sj-nod  of,  formed,  193. 

GENEVA,  visit  to,  458, 459 ,  his  emotions, 
462,  463. 

GILLESPIE,  GENERALS,  account  of, 28-30; 
his  son,  wounded,  515 ;  on  furlough, 
516-518;  returns  to  the  army,  519;  is 
killed,  520;  testimony  to  him,  520,  521. 

GLEBE  STREET  CHURCH,  call  to,  347 ; 
enters  on  his  labours,  348 ;  his  brief 
connection,  349-352;  his  release  from, 
354. 

GOVERNMENT,  our,  representative,  310. 

GRADUATION,  from  College,  82;  resi 
dent  graduate,  S3,  84. 

GRATITUDE,  expressions  of,  67,  70,  71. 

GRAVES,  DR.,  impressed  with  his  early 
genius,  20,  21. 

H, 

HARVARD  COMMENCEMENT,  120. 

HEALTH,  permanent  failure  of,  490,  491, 
497,  517. 

HEIDELBERG,  description  of,  456. 

HENRY,  DR.  ROBERT,  notice  of,  61,  62. 

HOLMES,  PROF.  G.  F.,  literary  corre 
spondence  with,  398-411. 

HOLY  SPIRIT,  work  on  the,  needed,  234. 

HOME  MISSION  BOARD,  American,  202; 
conflict  with  Assembly  Board,  203,  204. 

HOME-SICKNESS,  letter  on,  116,  117. 

HOTELS,  English,  168. 

HUME,  criticism  upon,  66,  125. 

HUMOUR,  letters  of,  371, 372,  374,  376,  377, 
378. 

I. 

IGNORANCE,  when  a  disgrace,  87. 

ILL  HEALTH,  157. 

ILLNESS,  last,  521-523 ;  death  and  burial, 
623-628. 

IMAGINATION,  its  power  to  deceive,  85. 

INAUGURATION,  as  Professor  of  Theol 
ogy,  429,  430. 

INSPIRATION,  of  the  Bible,  344. 

J. 

JEFFERSON,  MR.,  on  the  Missouri  Com 
promise,  473. 

JOURNAL,  religious,  extracts  from  his, 
139-142. 

JOURNAL,  at  sea,  160-166. 

K. 

KANSAS  AND   NEBRASKA  AGITATION, 

480 
KNOW-NOTHING  PARTY,  his  viewy  of, 

478,  479. 


]\!>vv. 


L,. 

I.  \  \<  ASTEK,  his  first  pastoral  charge  at, 

127  :  doses,  144.  • 
J.H  I-.N^TKI:  his,  127. 
I.ii  i:.  di>:>  mpered  views  of,  87-90,  92. 

,I:Y  PROJECTS,  early,  93. 
l.i\  i  EtPOOL,  description  of ,  168. 

•',  537. 
J,OMM>N,  lirsi   visit  to,  172-174;   second 

vi-it  to,  450-456. 
LOUISIANA,  ceded  ty  France,  471,  472. 

M. 
MACKINTOSH,    SIR    JAMES,    criticism 

u,  on,  92. 

la  characteristics  as  a,  567,  568. 
]NlAKi:iA(.i:.  his,  137. 
MAHUIAGE  QUESTION,  the,  286,  298-300. 
MASS,  Sermon  on  the,  299,  aOO. 
MATHEMATICS,  early  disinclination  to, 

44. 
MKI.ANCHOLY,  expressions  of,  104,  107; 

causes  ui',  104,  107. 
MEMORY,  discipline  of,  63. 

..  VACUITY,  devices  to  relieve,  86. 
MEMORIAL,   to    Confederate    Congress, 

807. 
METAPHYSICS,   early   predilection    for, 

44.  45 ;  transferred  Lo  the  chair  of,  148 ; 

IM  in  n-aching,  150-152. 
MEXICAN  WAR,  the,  474. 
M<  INTYKE,  Mu.,  account  of,  17,  18. 
i:  Y.  purpose  to  enter  the,  100. 

liurch-membership  of,  254, 
7 :  right  to  sit  in  Presbytery,  316. 
MILLE  \\ir.M  CU'KSTtox,  the,  244,  145. 
MIRACLES,  article  on,  399-i02;  their  re 
lation  to  the  laws  of  nature,  399-402. 
MISSISSIPPI     UNIVERSITY,     overtures 

from,  declined,  308. 

in,  admission  of,  and  compro- 

mise,  472. 
Mor  NT  BLANC,  enthusiasm  on  seeing, 

4.19-463. 
MORAL  TRAITS,  early,  23 ;  in  College,  76, 

77, 81, 82 ;  speculations,  early  tendency 

to.  51. 

MOKSI:,  REV.  A.  A  ,  letters  to,  320-323. 
MOTHER,  his,  of   Welsh   extraction,  9; 

her  character,  9-11  ;  death  of,  415. 
MULLALLY'S,  REV.  MR.,  estimate  of  his 

character,  564-566. 

N, 
NATURE,  equivocal  use  of  the  word,  401- 

4(4. 

Ni.v,-  ENGLAND, early  Presbyterianism 

-.    l!«i. 

;  NULAND   FOG,  description    of, 

164. 

Xi:\v  ORLEANS,  visit  to,  431-433. 
NOTT,  PROF  HENRY  JUNIUS,  notice  of, 

tii). 
NULLIFICATION,  opposition  to,  93,  469, 

470. 

o. 

Or  KAN,  reflections  on  the,  161-165. 

OIMHNATIOV,  his,  128. 

OKI-II  \NAC;K.  his,  13. 

OLD  FIELD  SCHOOL,  description  of ,  16. 

P. 

PARIS,  first  visit  to,  177,  178. 

PAS-PM;  \r,  CHARGE,  his  first,  134,  13.r>; 
i-ond,  154;  first  impression  made 
in,  135,  136;  town  and  country  com 
pared,  556. 


PATIKNCK.  in  ministers,  314. 
PATRONS,  his,  -ji. 

l'i  i;i  B8,  .Mi:.,  resides  in  family  of,  19. 
PECK.  REV.  DR.  T.  E.,  his  relations  to, 

.SIS,  314. 

.1.   Ari'EAKANc  i\  as  a   I 

40  ;  in  College,  53 ;  when  matured,  ,v;ti, 

Piui.osoi-iiY,  his  learning  in,  /)3t; 
jilace  in,  .'>:;:»-,r)t.') ;  views  of  Sir  William 
lianiilion's,  374,  M75,  410-41:?. 

PLAY,  indill'ereiu'e  to,  as  a  boy,  19. 

PMI. ITICS,  English,  169. 

POVBBTT,  his  early,  14,  15. 

PI:I:A<  niNG,  his  first,  130;  illustrations 
of  its  power,  131,  132;  illuminating 
character  of  his,  132-134;  the  writer's 
first  impressions  of  his,  154,  155;  gen 
eral  excellence  of  his,  647-552;  argu 
mentative,  547;  expository,  548;  log 
ical  fervour,  549 ;  diction,  550;  some 
times  too  elaborate,  652,  553. 

PREACHING,  extempore,  views  of,  553 , 
how  to  excel  in,  554 ;  listlessness  in 
hearing,  condemned,  159. 

PRAYER,  reflections  on  formality  in,  159. 

PRESHYTEK,  his  qualities  as  a. 
his  practical  judgment,  558;  his  set 
tled  principles,  558,  559;  his  positive- 
ness  of  mind,  559,  5GD  ;  his  penetration, 
560 ;  hones iy  and  frankness,  561 ;  know 
ledge  of  Church  law,  561. 

PHKSIIYTERY,  taken  under  care  of,  112, 
113. 

PRKSBYTERIAL  CRITIC,  the,  3s 

PRKSHYTERIES,  Convention  of  South 
ern,  494,  495. 

PRESTON,  HON.  W.  C.,  notice  of,  t.8'); 
(••\mpathy  with,  292-294;  declining 
health  of,  374,  375,  410-413. 

PRIDE  INTELLECTUAL,  rebuked.  ::,  7.1. 

PROFESSOR,  in  South  Carolina  ' 
lir>t    chosen,   145;    his   resignation  of 
chair,  153. 

PKOVIDKVTIAL  TRAINING,  his,  146. 

PROVIDENCES,  how  to  be  interpreted, 
218,  265,  266. 

R. 

RATIONALISM,  his  opposition  to,  344,  37:?. 

RELIGION,  his,  analysis  of,  99,  100;  his 
lirst  impressions  of,  24, 1'5;  strong  con 
victions  ot'.  m  e;irly  life,  -I'l-.'O;  inves 
tigations  of,  in  College,  78-81 ;  traced 
till  his  conversion. 

/•  In  n ,  295,  2%  ; 

Xoittlii'i'n  Qunrtt  rly,  the,  bCCOr 
tor  of.  397  ;  eflbrts  : 
ure  of.  411 

3,  MB.,  account  of  his  patron,  80- 
:;»;;  bis  ward's  indebtedness  to 
instance  of  tender  friend-hij)  b 
the  two,  40  ;  wise  counsels,  on  entering 

<  'r.lleir".   .'.7,    '^.    death   of.  t-17 
RoMISH    JiAI'TISM,     speech 

discussion  on,  with  the  Princeton  He- 
view,  289-291. 

S. 
SALVATION,     uncertain      of     deceased 

friend*,  submission  in,  239. 
SARCASM,  his  jiower  of,  C4. 
SAYI-KOOK  I»I.\TI  «>i:>r.  189. 
S(  ni-.M,  Old  and  New  School,  208,  209. 

->cotch,    intercourse    with, 
176. 
S-  OTLAND,  lirst  visit  to,  175-177. 


614 


INDEX. 


SECESSION,  467 ;  his  opposition  to,  in 
]  850,  476-478  ;  approved  of,  in  1861 ,  485- 
486;  defence  of,  487,  488,  498;  policy  of 
the  seceded  States,  606-608. 

SELF-ASSERTION,  when  to  be  approved, 
69  ;  vindicates  himself  from  charge  of, 
70. 

SENSIBILITY,  early  proof  of,  4,  50. 

SERMOXS,  what  they  should  be,  315. 

SLEEP,  his  habits  of,  307. 

SLAVES,  religious  instruction  of  his,  343. 

SLAVERY,  his  article  on,  344,  345 ;  early 
agitation  of  abolition  of,  470,  471; 
constitutional  attitude  of  Government 
towards,  595-606. 

SHAFTESBURY,  LORD,  criticism  on,  68. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA  COLLEGE,  elected 
President  of,  353 ;  his  fitness,  385,  386  ; 
resignation  of,  381, 382;  compared  with 
Cambridge,  li.6. 

SOIL,  love  for  his  native,  amusing  proof 
of,  180. 

Sox,  letters  to  his  oldest,  442,  443,  491, 
492. 

SORROW,  the  discipline  of,  238,  239;  joy 
in,  444,  445. 

SOUTHERN  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY,  or 
ganization  of,  502,  503;  interesting 
scenes  in,  504,  505 ;  non-political,  509- 
512. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA,  early  settlement  of, 
5-7. 

SOUTHWEST,  visit  to,  444. 

SPIRITUAL  CONFICT,  his,  128-130. 

STANDARDS,  doctrinal,  eany  strict  sub 
scription  of,  182-187. 

STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  the,  review 
article,  591-610. 

SYNOD  OF  SOUTH  CAROLINA,  doctrinal 
paper  in,  214,  215. 

STYLE,  fastidiousness  as  to  his,  657. 

T. 

TEACHERS,  his  first,  17. 

TEACHER,  his  early  enthusiasm  as  a,  105, 
106;  his  merits  as  n,  528-531  ;  his  me 
thod  as  a  theological,  534,  535. 

TEMPERANCE  SOCIETIES,  his  view  of. 
225,  226;  his  views  of  legislative  re 
striction,  376,  377. 

TEXAS,  admission  of,  473 

THEOLOGIAN,  as  a,  545-546. 

TIME,  importance  of,  162. 

TOBACCO,  amusing  defence  of,  496,  497. 


TOUR,  from  England  to  Scotland,  176; 

of  inspection  of  Northern  Colleges,  359  - 

368. 
TRUTH,  his  discourse  on,  878,  379. 

U. 

UNITARIANISM,  at  Cambridge,  118. 

UNION,  the  plan  of,  formed,  191,  192  ;  its 
anomalies,  192,  193. 

UNION,  the  National,  his  love  of,  468, 
469,  572 ;  its  mission,  574 ;  duty  of  the 
North  to  preserve,  672,  573;  of  the 
South,  575,  576;  the  creature  of  the 
Constitution,  572-574. 

UTICA,  Synod  of,  formed,  194. 

V. 

VOLUNTARY  SOCIETIES,  his  view  of,  225. 

W. 

WALLACE,  PROF.  JAMES,  notice  of,  60. 

WASHINGTON  CITY,  visit  to,  305 

WAR,  the  late,  his  course  in,  485-490; 
duty  of  Christians,  489 ;  failure  of  ef 
forts  to  avert,  499,  500  ;  his  appeals  to 
the  Southern  people,  513,  514;  pam 
phlet  "  Our  Danger  and  Our  Duty," 
679-588 ;  consequences  of  failure  to  the 
South,  579,  580 ;  duties  to  be  performed, 
581,  582;  dangers  to  be  avoided,  583- 
688  ;  interpretation  of  reverses,  588-590. 

WELSH  COLONY,  immigration  of,  7,  8 ; 
its  character,  8. 

WEST,  the,  first  visit  and  impressions, 
287 ;  second  visit,  423. 

WESTERN  MEMORIAL,  206. 

WESTERN  RESERVE,  Synod  of,  194. 

WHATELY'S  HISTORIC  DOUBTS,  com 
mended,  125. 

WILLIAMS,  PROF.  M.  J  ,  friendship  with, 
309. 

WITHERSPOON,  COLONEL,  notice  of,  137. 

WILMOT  PROVISO,  the,  474. 

WIGHT,  ISLE  OF,  visit  to  the,  450. 

WRITERS  AND  WORKERS,  compared, 
236,  237. 

Y. 

YALE  COLLEGE,  visit  to,  365 ;  speech  at, 
366-368. 

Z. 

ZUINGLE,  his  estimate  of,  463. 

ZURICH,  visit  to,  463,  464. 


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